Symbols of Love

Valentine's day is a week away. Love, therefore, has been the most popular topic as soon as the month of February hit us.

School activities now include making Valentine's cards or notes for parents and other loved ones, right? So as you prepare those love notes, how about reviewing with me the many symbols of love that people have created or known through generations?

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Apple: Does this surprise you? In comic books, apples are usually given by students to their teachers. In ancient Greece, several myths tell us of the importance of apples.

Zeus, considered the father of gods and men (and therefore of the universe), ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father rules the family. At his wedding to Hera,  Zeus was presented by his bride with apples as a symbol of her love.

Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, also offered apples to woo Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and win her love.

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Cupid: That's the small boy with curly hair holding an arrow (often blindfolded). You see his image as a Valentine's decor in malls and restaurants.

Also known as Amor  (meaning love) to the Romans, Cupid is blindfolded to symbolize love's blindness.

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Triangle: In Ancient Egypt, this indicated the capacity for love. This shape also deals with the love represented in the mother, father, child union as well as the Holy Trinity. An inverted triangle represents a vessel in which love is poured or carried.

Harp: The Harp is a symbol of love in the form of art, poetry, and music. In Norway and Iceland, harp strings formed a ladder, symbolizing the climb to higher states of love and pathways leading to paradise.

King David of course (book of Psalms in the Bible) played the harp to the Lord to express his devotion and love.

Heart: This is probably the most common symbol of love. It is recognized across cultures as being a symbol for charity, joy and compassion.

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Maple Leaf: In some places, the stork, which carries a newborn child, weaves maple branches in nests. That's how the maple leaf has become a symbol of the love in welcoming a new child in the home.

The sweet maple syrup we lavish on our pancakes and maple leaves depict the sweetness and wonder of love in every day life.

Rose: Aphrodite's (Venus in Roman mythology) beauty was described through the rose emblem. The flower was said to grow from the blood of Adonis, the handsome hunter who was Venus' sweetheart.

Today, the rose is easily the most popular gift on Valentine's Day.

Shell: Because of its hard casing, the Shell symbolizes the protective quality of love. In the myth, and as depicted in art pieces, Venus was created from the foam carried ashore atop a scallop shell.

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I would like to add the most important One, the greatest symbol of Love among Christians: Jesus Christ. God sent Him to earth to save sinful men on the cross.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 (NIV) 

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Happy Valentine's Day! Continue writing those love messages.

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