The olive branch is usually a symbol of peace or victory and was historically worn by brides. This symbol, deriving from the customs of Ancient Greece, is strongest in Western culture. However, it has been found in every culture and religion to thrive in the Mediterranean basin.
Read more about Olive Branch: Ancient Greece and Rome, Early Christianity, Modern Usage, Other Uses, Gallery
Famous quotes containing the words olive and/or branch:
“Even when seen from near, the olive shows
A hue of far away. Perhaps for this
The dove brought olive back, a tree which grows
Unearthly pale, which ever dims and dries,
And whose great thirst, exceeding all excess,
Teaches the South it is not paradise.”
—Richard Wilbur (b. 1921)
“What can the dove of Jesus give
You now but wisdom, exile? Stand and live,
The dove has brought an olive branch to eat.”
—Robert Lowell (1917–1977)