What do butterflies symbolize?

The butterfly has different symbolism in different cultures. However, many equate the butterfly to a moment of transcendence into the spirit world. Some older cultures considered the butterfly an angel of death.

Early Christians viewed the butterfly as a dying person's soul. In China, the butterfly is a symbol of joy. Some Native Americans also see joy in the image of a butterfly. The Navajo and Hopi tribes celebrate the butterfly with a dance, and girls who wish to marry wear their hair in the shape of a butterfly as a signal to young men that they are single.