Cherry Fruit Symbolism Facts & Literature: Astrology, Omens, Dreams, and Legends
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Cherry Fruit Symbolism & Meaning
The symbolic meaning of the Cherry Fruit has changed and evolved over the centuries. Starting from its name, Cherry, came from the word “cherise” an Old Northern French word derived from the Latin “cerasum.”
Cherry’s Latin name references the Ancient Greek settlement, Kerasous, near today’s Giresun, Turkey where Cherries were huge exports of the region.
The Cherry Fruit is associated with joy, happiness, and productivity. A tree full of Cherry Fruits is seen as a representation of abundance, fertility, and good fortune.
Cherries are also historically used to symbolize innocence, tenderness, and virginity. Over time, this symbolism evolved to represent seductiveness and female sexuality.
Many organizations, institutions, and brands have used the Cherry Fruit as part of their icon or emblem.
The Wallace Toronto Foundation is a Utah-based non-profit organization that sponsors educational and humanitarian-based projects in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Their emblem is a stylized blue Cherry tree with pairs of Cherries in red.
Cherry World is an American company based in Germany that manufactures PC accessories with a minimalist graphic of a red two Cherry stem with a leaf as their emblem.
Another organization with the same name is Cherry World, an apparel store using two Cherry stems with the earth as the two Cherries in their emblem.
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Cherry Fruit Positive & Negative Symbolism
The Cherry Fruit has largely positive symbolism, mostly representing fertility, abundance, happiness, and productivity. It also represents states of innocence, tenderness, and virginity.
Depending on how it is used, the Cherry’s symbolism of female sexuality and seduction can be interpreted as negative symbolism.
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Cherry Fruit Origin
The Cherry Fruit is native to West Asia, Northern Africa, and Europe and has been consumed by people since prehistoric times. It is theorized that Cherries were naturally spread by birds in other regions.
The first cultivation of Cherries started in Asia Minor, in the fertile Anatolia, now modern-day Turkey. The Greeks living in the region were the first cultivators of the delectable red fruit and passed their knowledge to the Romans.
The first recorded evidence of cultivated Cherries was in 72 BC by the Roman general and statesman Lucious Licinius Lucullus when he brought them to Rome from Anatolia.
Even Henry VIII was captivated by the Cherry Fruit. He first tasted Cherries in Flanders, Belgium that he ordered to have them brought to England and cultivated in Teynham, Kent.
The Cherry Fruits were brought over to the New World as early as 1606 where it was grown on farms for the people of Port Royal, now modern-day Nova Scotia.
It was not long before the Cherry Fruit was brought to the United States. It was first introduced in 1629 by English settlers to the colonies. The modern-day tart Cherry Fruits were first cultivated in Michigan, USA in the 1800s by a Presbyterian missionary, Peter Dougherty.
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Cherry Fruit Cultural Symbolism
In Christianity, the Cherry Fruit has a significant association with Christ and the Virgin Mary, specifically used to symbolize the Mary’s purity and the blood of Christ.
In Japan, Cherries and Cherry blossoms celebrated national symbols and marked the beginning of spring. For the Japanese, they represent the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Cherries are highly associated with new beginnings, prosperity, cheer, charm, and happiness.
Ancient China sees Cherries as symbols of vitality and beauty. For Buddhists, Cherries represent femininity and fertility. However, in Scotland, Cherries are negatively associated with evil witches and are believed to bring bad luck.
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Cherry Fruit in Art and Literature
Watercolor lithographs of the popular surrealist painter Salvador Dali were unearthed in 2013, one of which was titled Pierrot Cherries, originally painted from 1969 to 1970.
Many Renaissance masters have featured Cherries in their paintings, typically in religious motifs. One such notable painting is the Madonna of the Cherries by Titian in 1515.
The notable still-life painter Jan Davids de Hem has featured Cherries in his artworks throughout his career, one example is his still-life oil painting in 1665 titled Flowers in a Glass Vase with Fruits.
The painting Girl Under Cherry Blossoms by Emile Vernon was inspired by the poem Cherry Robbers by D.H. Lawrence.
Another literary work that significantly features Cherry Fruits is the 1617 poem Garden in Her Face by Thomas Campion. The poem describes young blossoming females’ tantalizing but out-of-reach beauty.
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Cherry Favorite Fruit: Traits and Personality
If the Cherry Fruit is your favorite fruit, this could indicate a few things about traits in your personality. Cherry Fruit enthusiasts are said to be introverted and only open up to those they are comfortable with. Once they are comfortable, they are incredibly loyal and easy-going. They are also passionate, imaginative, and creative in their interests.
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Cherry Fruit in Astrology or Zodiac
The Cherry Fruit has a strong connection with the astrological zodiac sign Capricorn. Like the Cherries, Capricorn can be the best of both worlds of sweetness and tartness. They love a challenge and are often described as having a sweetness behind their mysterious and sometimes dark nature.
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Cherry Fruit in Dreams
Dreaming of the Cherry Fruit could mean various things. Cherries could be signals of abundance, luck, pleasure, or happiness to come. It could also indicate that the dreamer is facing temptations or is acting upon their desires.
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Cherry Fruit Omens and Superstitions
A Cherry superstition in Switzerland says that the first Cherry Fruit of that year should be given to a woman who recently gave birth to ensure a bountiful harvest of Cherries.
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Cherry Fruit Legends, Mythology, and Folklore
The Cherry Fruit and its tree have been featured in many legends and mythology in different cultures.
In Chinese mythology, Xi Wang Mu, the Chinese mother Deity, also known as Queen Mother of the West, is said to have a garden full of Cherries of immortality.
According to a Chinese legend, the phoenix was said to have slept in a bed of Cherry blossoms where it received everlasting life.
In Buddhist lore, Buddha’s mother gave birth to him while supporting herself against a sacred Cherry tree.
In Greek mythology, the Cherry is one of the sacred fruits of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Cherry Fruits were also believed to contain the elixir of life in Greek legends.
