Persimmon Fruit Symbolism Facts & Literature: Astrology, Omens, Dreams, and Legends
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Persimmon Fruit Symbolism & Meaning
Many consider persimmon a unique fruit, and its symbolic representation of patience and perseverance is often revered. Persimmon takes time to mature fully before it blooms, producing its unique flavor, which some say is a combination of mango, apricot, and pumpkin with a hint of honey and cinnamon.
One of the ideas associated with the persimmon is how the slow ripening process of the fruit teaches us the value of allowing things to unfold naturally and reminds us that good things take time.
The persimmon is also considered a “divine fruit” in some cultures as it symbolizes good luck, longevity, and prosperity. Its vibrant orange color and rounded shape led to the belief that it could attract luck and positive energy and ward off misfortune.
The Persimmon Group, a business consulting firm based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, draws inspiration from one of the most known folklores associated with persimmon. According to folklore, the Ozarks used the fruit to determine the severity of winter by the shape of the fruit’s cotyledon. The firm uses this as an analogy to how their company can help clients by identifying and addressing underlying issues before they escalate into a problem. The Persimmon Group uses an illustration of a fully-bloomed persimmon tree as their icon, highlighting the vibrant orange color of the fruit.
Ikigai Fruit is a company that sells premium fruits from Japan to the United States. They support local farmers by exporting rare high-quality Japanese fruits such as persimmons, pears, oranges, and strawberries. The company uses an outlined illustration of a persimmon fruit colored in gradient hues.
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Persimmon Fruit Positive & Negative Symbolism
One of the known negative symbolisms of the fruit is from the Buddhist belief that suggests that an unripe persimmon represents ignorance.
In Chinese culture, persimmons are associated with harmony and balance and are believed to create a harmonious environment when placed in the home.
The unique sweetness of persimmons is also believed to attract positive energy and luck, especially to those who incorporate the fruit into their surroundings.
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Persimmon Fruit Origin
Persimmons are native to China, where it has been cultivated more than 2000 years ago. The unique fruit that belongs to the berry family made its way to Japan around the 7th century, or 1,4000 years ago, and only reached Korea during the 14th century.
Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thurnberg, a student of Carl Linnaeus, documented plants in Japan from 1775-1776 where he first encountered the persimmon tree, also called kaki in Japanese. The persimmon tree earned the scientific name diospyros kaki, which translates to “fruit of the Gods” or “divine fruit”as Thurnberg noticed that it was often planted near temples and shrines.
Persimmons made their way to the United States in the 1850s by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, who discovered that they were growing on the coast of Southern Japan during his expedition to the country. Aside from introducing persimmons to the West, he also later introduced grafted Japanese persimmon cultivars to California, making it one of the most popular states for the central production of persimmons.
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Persimmon Fruit Cultural Symbolism
In Chinse culture, the persimmon symbolizes luck and prosperity because the fruit is pronounced the same way as ‘thing’ (shi), and has been associated with the phrase “shishi ruyi” which means “everything goes well as wished”.
In Korean culture, persimmons are believed to protect people from tigers.
In ancient Greece, the persimmon was known as the fruit of the gods as it was observed growing often near temples and shrines, earning its Greek name diospyros, where dios means god and pyros means food.
In Buddhism, persimmon is a symbol of transformation. It is believed that the bitter taste of an unripe persimmon represents ignorance, and gradually transitions to the sweet taste of a ripe one that represents wisdom.
In Feng Shui, a red persimmon is a symbol of passion and vibrant energy. It is crucial to place a persimmon in spaces where you want this energy to flow.
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Persimmon Fruit in Art and Literature
The Chinese-American Poet Li-Young Lee wrote a poem in 1986 entitled “Persimmons” where he poetically narrates the painful memories of having a cultural barrier and also explores his relationship with his blind father and how they used the remaining senses to convey the message that “some things never leave a person”, like the texture and weight of a persimmon.
In 2007, South African-Australian novelist Bryce Courtenay released a novel titled “The Persimmon Tree”. The novel is set in the Pacific from the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. It is believed that the deep-rootedness of the persimmon tree mentioned in the novel symbolizes the resilience of the protagonists, Nick and Anna, amid war and hardships.
Just recently in 2023, American musician Joseph Terrell released a song called “Persimmon”. According to Terrell, the line ‘looking for the winter in persimmon seeds’ is heavily inspired by one of the most popular folklore connected to persimmons. It is believed that cutting the fruit in half will reveal the shape of a spoon, fork, or knife, and these symbols can determine the severity of the winter.
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Persimmon Favorite Fruit: Traits and Personality
If persimmon is your favorite fruit, this could mean that you are often seen as someone warm and friendly, mirroring the vibrant and welcoming color and sweet taste of the fruit. Persimmon trees can easily survive different environmental conditions which can also mean that you are resilient and brave. Like the persimmon tree taking its time to bloom and bear fruit, you are someone who is patient and likes to let things naturally happen instead of rushing.
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Persimmon Fruit in Astrology or Zodiac
The persimmon is a significant fruit associated with people born under the sign of Scorpio and Sagittarius. The resilient quality of Scorpios reflects the resilience of persimmon trees amid environmental adversities.
On the other hand, Sagittarians are optimistic and warm people which represents the vibrant color and sweetness of a fully-riped persimmon.
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Persimmon Fruit in Dreams
When a persimmon appears in a dream, it can indicate that an event, regardless if it is good or bad, will be an important part of your life.
When a red persimmon appears in a dream, it often suggests that you will achieve satisfactory results, especially those of what you are trying to accomplish.
However, a persimmon tree appearing in a dream implies that you have to be patient in what you are trying to achieve to be successful.
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Persimmon Fruit Omens and Superstitions
In Japanese culture, aside from its association with spirits, families are also known to hang dried persimmon strings in their homes during New Year’s Eve to attract luck and longevity.
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Persimmon Fruit Legends, Mythology, and Folklore
In Korean folklore, when harvesting persimmons, it is customary to leave behind some for magpies as they are seen as bearers of good news.
The story of “The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon” is another popular Korean folklore. This story is about a mother who is trying different ways to quiet down her baby as it doesn’t seem to stop crying. The mother tried to instill fear in her baby by saying that terrifying beasts were outside their door, but to no avail. However, when the mother said that there was a persimmon, the baby stopped crying and the tiger, who was ready to pounce on the door, mistook the fruit for something more terrifying than any other beast and went back to the mountains.
In Ozarks folklore, it is believed that the shape of a persimmon seed’s cotyledon can determine the severity of winter. A fork-shaped cotyledon means the severity will only be mild while a spoon-shaped cotyledon means there would be a snowy winter. A knife-shaped cotyledon, on the other hand, means that it will be a very cold winter.
