Pomegranate the most recognizable symbol and emblem of Armenia - La Melagrana emblema e simbolo dell'Armenia
From the ending of a traditional Armenian fairy tale“Three pomegranates fell down from heaven:
“One for the story teller, one for the listener, and one for the whole world.”
For Armenians the pomegranate (in Armenian language “Նուռ” Transliteration: Noor ) and Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) are the most recognizable symbols and emblems of the country. In Armenian mythology it symbolizes fertility, abundance and good fortune. It was a guardian against the evil eye. At weddings in Western Armenia, a bride would throw a pomegranate and break it into pieces. Its scattered seeds ensured that the bride would bear children. In some rural areas exists the tradition for Armenian women who wanted to have a son would eat bread made from dough mixed with pomegranate seeds. Symbol of life, tradition tells us also that each mature pomegranate has 365-366 seeds, one for each day of the year. An austere fruit on the outside and equally rich on the inside. Its importance is attested in historical Armenian manuscripts since from the 5th century AD, together with grapes and their branches, and on Armenian stone-cross carvings (in Armenian “խաչքար” Transliteration: Khatchkar) where it was used as a popular ornament. One of the most iconic Armenian art movies is that of Sergey Paradjanov used this symbolic fruit as the title to his great 20th century masterpiece “The Color of Pomegranates” emphasizing the most symbolic concept for Armenians: in the film, the red pomegranate on a table with its wrinkled skin and fresh pulp stands out as an embodiment of the invincible soul of Armenia. Until the very day pomegranate is a commonly used theme in Armenian art and culture including cuisine. In fact, it has turned into a national cliché. The colour of the pomegranate resembles blood and vitality, and the grains are a symbol of procreation. The symbolism of a pomegranate is due, firstly, to its colour, and secondly, to its shape and thirdly, its internal structure, which embodies the principle of unity and integrity. In recent decades, the grenade is considered to be also the symbol of the Armenian Diaspora scattered throughout the world. Go to any Armemian art exhibition, and you are sure to see two or three (or more) paintings where the pomegranate is featured. During weddings in Yerevan a small dried pomegranate called “taratosik” is given by a bride to unmarried guests as a blessing. After the horrid events of the Armenian Genocide in 1915, many Armenian artists have used pomegranates as a theme in their lyrics and poems to describe a wide range of emotions, from suffering to hope, rebirth and survival of a nation
Pomegranate the most recognizable symbol and emblem of Armenia - La Melagrana emblema e simbolo dell'Armenia
From the ending of a traditional Armenian fairy tale“Three pomegranates fell down from heaven:
“One for the story teller, one for the listener, and one for the whole world.”
For Armenians the pomegranate (in Armenian language “Նուռ” Transliteration: Noor ) and Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) are the most recognizable symbols and emblems of the country. In Armenian mythology it symbolizes fertility, abundance and good fortune. It was a guardian against the evil eye. At weddings in Western Armenia, a bride would throw a pomegranate and break it into pieces. Its scattered seeds ensured that the bride would bear children. In some rural areas exists the tradition for Armenian women who wanted to have a son would eat bread made from dough mixed with pomegranate seeds. Symbol of life, tradition tells us also that each mature pomegranate has 365-366 seeds, one for each day of the year. An austere fruit on the outside and equally rich on the inside. Its importance is attested in historical Armenian manuscripts since from the 5th century AD, together with grapes and their branches, and on Armenian stone-cross carvings (in Armenian “խաչքար” Transliteration: Khatchkar) where it was used as a popular ornament. One of the most iconic Armenian art movies is that of Sergey Paradjanov used this symbolic fruit as the title to his great 20th century masterpiece “The Color of Pomegranates” emphasizing the most symbolic concept for Armenians: in the film, the red pomegranate on a table with its wrinkled skin and fresh pulp stands out as an embodiment of the invincible soul of Armenia. Until the very day pomegranate is a commonly used theme in Armenian art and culture including cuisine. In fact, it has turned into a national cliché. The colour of the pomegranate resembles blood and vitality, and the grains are a symbol of procreation. The symbolism of a pomegranate is due, firstly, to its colour, and secondly, to its shape and thirdly, its internal structure, which embodies the principle of unity and integrity. In recent decades, the grenade is considered to be also the symbol of the Armenian Diaspora scattered throughout the world. Go to any Armemian art exhibition, and you are sure to see two or three (or more) paintings where the pomegranate is featured. During weddings in Yerevan a small dried pomegranate called “taratosik” is given by a bride to unmarried guests as a blessing. After the horrid events of the Armenian Genocide in 1915, many Armenian artists have used pomegranates as a theme in their lyrics and poems to describe a wide range of emotions, from suffering to hope, rebirth and survival of a nation