ELI5: Why Do Saints Have Halos?

Saints have halos in pictures to show that they are filled with holy goodness and glowing with love, just like a light bulb glows when it is plugged in.

Imagine you are looking at your family photo album. If someone is wearing a shiny gold medal around their neck, you immediately know they won a big race or did something amazing. A halo is like a shiny gold medal, but instead of hanging around the neck, artists draw it floating over a person's head like a glowing hat.

Long ago, people did not have captions, name tags, or subtitles to explain who was in a painting. Artists needed a clever way to say, "Look at this person! They are extra special, kind, and close to God." So, they painted a circle of bright sunshine around the person's head.

In everyday life, we still use this kind of idea all the time:

• When a cartoon character gets a brilliant idea, a glowing light bulb pops up over their head.
• When someone does something super nice for you, you might say, "You are an absolute angel," and picture them glowing with kindness.
• When a superhero uses their magic power in a movie, bright sparks or colorful rings often shimmer all around them.