Posted on : June 1st, 2018
Juno and Jupiter
It’s June, the biggest month for weddings. Have you ever wondered why? Well, the tradition dates back to ancient Rome when they celebrated the festival of the Roman God Jupiter and his wife Juno on the first day of June. The month of June is actually named after Juno. She was the goddess of marriage and childbirth and was considered the protector of women in all aspects of life. It was thought that couples who married in her month would be blessed with prosperity (in the form of children) and much happiness. And speaking of being blessed with children, guess what they threw at the bride and groom in ancient Rome? Almonds!
Almonds were a symbol of fertility and prosperity in ancient times. Later, in Greece, almonds dipped in honey were given to newlyweds in church by the priest who married them. And later still (in the 1400s), that custom was replaced with what we now call Jordan Almonds (almonds coated with a hard sugar shell). At Italian weddings five sugar-coated almonds are placed in a tiny favor box or in a bag made of tulle and given to every guest. The five almond candies represent five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity.
A detail of “The Tree of Forgiveness” (Phyllis and Demophoön) by Edward Burne-Jones.
Almond trees are also associated with everlasting love for another reason. In Greek mythology, a beautiful princess named Phyllis, who was the daughter of the Thracian king, fell in love with Demophon, the son of the great Greek hero Theseus. Demophon had just participated in the sack of Troy and wound up in Thrace on his way home because of trouble with his boat. When Demophon and Phyllis declared their love for one another, the king gave Demophon half his kingdom and agreed to the marriage. But before that could happen, Demophon needed to return home to Athens. He agreed to come back but on her wedding day, Phyllis was left standing alone without him. She waited years for him to return but eventually died of a broken heart. In some versions of the story she commits suicide in an almond grove. The gods had sympathy for her and turned her into an almond tree after her death. Demophon eventually made it back to Thrace and found her in the almond grove as a leafless, flowerless tree. In despair, he threw his arms around her and the tree burst into bloom! From that point on, almond blossoms were a symbol of love so strong it could last even after death.
Maisie Jane’s California Sunshine Products, Inc. was founded on strong beliefs and passion for offering unique, flavorful, top-quality, nut products. We strongly believe in earth-friendly practices that start on our family owned and operated orchards. We use Organic farming practices and continue in the process by using all-natural ingredients with no preservatives or GMOs. We believe in honest, friendly and helpful customer relations at all levels. We take pride in every task, every day, with every person.
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