Grape Fruit Symbolism Facts & Literature: Astrology, Omens, Dreams, and Legends
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Grape Fruit Symbolism & Meaning
The grape has held significant symbolic meaning since the start of civilizations. In antiquity, it is often seen as a symbol of divinity and power, frequently depicted alongside several deities.
Because grapes grow in bunches quite abundantly on the vines, it is seen to represent abundance and success after a harvest. The sustenance and its ability to make wine gave the people cause for celebrations and happiness.
The cycle of harvest and growth of the grapes also gave it an association with death and rebirth. This is also linked to the grape’s symbolism of fertility and prosperity.
Grapes on the vine are iconic images of wineries. Since antiquity, wine grapes direct connection to wine made it a symbol of merriment, indulgence, celebration, and debauchery.
This also made it a symbol of the aristocracy because, throughout centuries, these elites would be the only ones with the resources to fund the time-intensive process of winemaking.
Grapes have also become a symbol of health for their nutritional content.
California Table Grape Commission has been around since 1967, established to maintain and grow California’s grape products. Their emblem is a graphic of vibrant purple grapes.
Grape Solutions is a Hungarian software development company founded in 2006. Their minimalist emblem is abstract green circles, resembling a bunch of green grapes.
The Global Relief Activities of Poor and Ecumenical Society (GRAPES) is a nonprofit social service organization in Singarayakonda Mandal of Prakasam district in India. Their emblem features three bunches of grapes of different colors on the vine.
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Grape Fruit Positive & Negative Symbolism
Grapes have many positive symbolism like celebration, health, and divinity. Its ability to provide wine made it a favorite amongst people since antiquity, linking it with happiness, abundance, and prosperity.
It is also negatively associated with debauchery and indulgence as a reminder that anything can turn into a negative when consumed in excess.
The term “sour grapes” refers to someone acting sourly when they cannot have what they desire.
“Heard through the grapevine” is another term that refers to rumors or hearing news from a diluted source.
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Grape Fruit Origin
Consensus agrees that grapes are native fruits in the Old World with many grape species existing in the Northern Hemisphere—the earliest evidence of grapes are found to date from 2.5 to 66 million years ago. In the Americas, native species of grapes are also present.
The earliest civilization in the Middle East started the cultivation of grapes 6000-8000 years ago. There is evidence that grapes have been cultivated since the civilization of humankind through the discovery of wine, brought on by the naturally occurring yeast of grapes, starting the fermentation process. The earliest evidence of wine-making was found in Georgia, dating back 8,000 years ago.
Humankind has since continued to cultivate grapes as a fruit and for winemaking throughout history up to the present day.
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Grape Fruit Cultural Symbolism
In Christianity, the grape is often seen as a symbol of Jesus and wine as his blood. The Bible has many fables featuring grapes including when Moses and his men discovered big bunches of grapes in the land of Canaan
In Ancient Egypt, grapes were symbols of fertility and prosperity, being sacred to Hathor, the goddess of love, fertility, and women.
In Ancient Greece, grapes were tightly associated with Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, with many Greek myths featuring wine and vineyards.
Likewise in Rome, grapes were associated with Dionysus’s Roman equivalent, Bacchus. The Romans were great wine enthusiasts.
In Spain and Germany, annual grape festivals were celebrated in parts of the country, celebrating bountiful harvests of vineyards.
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Grape Fruit in Art and Literature
The famous Dutch painter, Vincent Van Gogh, painted a still-life artwork in his impressionist style in the fall of 1887. This artwork was titled Grapes, Lemons, Pears, and Apples, with a bunch of grapes at the center of the painting.
The Czech artist Alphonse Mucha is distinctly known for his graphic illustrations and portraits. He featured grapes in two of his lithographs, one in The Seasons Autumns created in 1896 as part of The Seasons series, and in Fruit in 1897.
The influential artist Peter Paul Rubens painted his piece, Two Satyrs with oil paint in his baroque style from 1617-1619. It features two satyrs, one in profile in the background, drinking from a shell cup, and the other looking mischievously at the viewer, grasping a bunch of grapes.
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, an Italian Renaissance painter known for his fantastical portraits created, Autumn, a portrait in 1573, with the subject’s hair painted entirely out of grapes.
Grapes have been featured in and inspired many works of literature over the centuries, due to their symbolism as well as springing forth new symbolisms from these works. These works of literature include the novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, first published in 1939, the poem by Robert Frost titled Wild Grapes, and the short story The Fox and the Grapes by Aesop.
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Grape Favorite Fruit: Traits and Personality
If the grape is your favorite fruit, your personality traits could indicate that you are a person with a zest for life. You are generally well-liked, creative, and possess a quick temper.
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Grape Fruit in Astrology or Zodiac
Grapes are most linked to the zodiac sign Taurus. Taurus is naturally sensual and a people person. They are always ready to have a good time or relax. Most importantly, they will always have time for their loved ones.
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Grape Fruit in Dreams
Dreaming of grapes may indicate that the dreamer is ready for happiness and pleasure to come in their life. This could also mean that success and abundance are just around the corner.
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Grape Fruit Omens and Superstitions
In Spain, there is a tradition of eating 12 grapes as the clock tower chimes 12 times on New Year’s Eve. According to superstitious beliefs, eating these 12 grapes symbolizes to coming good fortune and good luck for the coming 12 months of the new year.
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Grape Fruit Legends, Mythology, and Folklore
In Greek mythology, Dionysus fell in love and pursued the wild and impulsive Ampelos. In one version of the myth, Ampelos, through poor decision-making, decided to ride a bull. The wild bull had other plans, it tossed Ampelos off its back and proceeded to gorge him. Dionysus in his grief and anguish, decided to honor Ampelos by transforming his body into the first grapevine.
