That’s right, for many it’s just an inconspicuous sticker. But behind it lies a history thousands of years old.

This symbol is called Ichthys (Greek for “fish”) and is a clear, yet subtle, expression of the Christian faith.

Why a fish, of all things?

It all goes back to the beginnings of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Because Christians were persecuted at that time, they had to practice their faith in secret. The fish served as a secret code: If you met a stranger, you would draw a curved line in the sand with your foot. If the other person completed the second line to form a fish, you knew immediately: Here stands a fellow believer.

The choice of the fish is no coincidence, but a clever play on words. The individual letters of the Greek word Ichthys (IΙΧΘΥΣ) form an acrostic – a sentence in which the first letters spell out a new word:

Letter Greek German Meaning
Ι IΓsoûs Jesus
Χ Christós Christ
Θ Theoû God’s
Υ Hyiós Son
Σ Sōtḗr Savior / Redeemer
In short, the symbol means: “Jesus Christ, Son of God, (my) Savior.”

Anyone who puts this on their car today is essentially signaling to other drivers: I am a Christian. In recent decades, it has become a popular symbol of recognition, especially within evangelical and free church circles.