Cross styles

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Latin Cross - The Latin cross is by far the most famous one, which is also known as the crucifix. It symbolized the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and symbolized the belief of Christian religions across the world. In particular, it showcases the passion of Christ and his death on the Cross. The defining feature of this Cross is its more extended arm at the bottom.

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Greek Cross - The Greek cross is similar to the Latin cross in the sense that Christianity used it, but mostly during its early years. The Cross is different from the Latin cross, however, as instead of having a long arm at the bottom, all of its four arms are of equal length.

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Orthodox Cross - The Orthodox cross is the Orthodox variant of the Latin cross. The Cross itself symbolizes the crucifixion the same way that the Latin cross does, but it contains a few more details. For example, the slanted line at the bottom represents the thieves that were crucified beside Jesus during his crucifixion.

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The Russian Cross - The Russian Cross is another term for the Orthodox Cross, which contains the added horizontal line above and the slanted line below its center.

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Patriarchs Cross - The Patriarchal cross is simply a Latin cross with an additional smaller cross-beam above the horizontal cross-beam. It is a symbol used for the patriarchs in Christianity and is also featured in the heraldic arms of Archbishops.  There are several theories regarding what the two cross-beams on the symbol represent. According to some sources, the additional beam is for the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of Jews” or its abbreviation in Latin, “INRI” while some sources suggest that one of the cross-beams represents the death of Jesus while the other represents his resurrection.  Today, among other instances, the Patriarchal cross is featured on several flags including the coat of arms of Hungary and the coat of arms of Slovakia.

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St. Peters Cross - The Upside Down Cross is a unique cross that also has heavy ties to Christianity. The Cross symbolizes the martyrdom of Peter the Apostle, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Peter wished to be crucified upside-down, as he found himself unworthy of being crucified in the same manner as Jesus. The Upside Down Cross is just that – a Latin Cross turned upside-down.

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Celtic Cross - The Celtic cross is similar to a Latin cross but with a circle surrounding the center of the four arms. It has the same Christian meaning as the Latin cross, with the only real difference being that it was most commonly found in Ireland, Great Britain, and France during the 9th to 12th centuries.

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