Culture Reference for Fruits

Today’s post is focused on the cultural reference for fruits. My choice fell upon mangos and apples. Mangoes are among the fruits most evocative of South Asia. The fruits, leaves and trees are associated with fortune, plenty and fertility, and form an integral part of many religious ceremonies and traditional functions.

Mangoes are represented in religious themes of South Asia's diverse communities, whether Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or Christian. The leaves adorn entrances to new homes to signify good fortune. The use of mango fruit is particularly widespread in Hindu rituals of divine blessing, called pujas. A 'purnakumbha' or clay pot filled with water is topped with fresh mango leaves and a coconut. The pot signifies mother earth, water is the life-giver, mango leaves denote vibrant life, and the coconut represents divine consciousness. The whole object symbolises Lakshmi the goddess of fortune. There are famous Hindu temples in the Indian states of Orissa and Tamil Nadu where legend states that Shiva appeared as Linga (the phallic form of Shiva) under a mango tree.Mango is also a rich part of Buddhist folklore. It features in the Jataka tales and frequently appears in Buddhist art. Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden fruit. This phrase originates from Genesis concerning Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:16–17. In the narrative, the fruit of good and evil was eaten by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. As a metaphor, the phrase typically refers to any indulgence or pleasure that is considered illegal or immoral.

It´s the fruit of the Gods, in Greek and Roman mythology, apples are a symbol of love and beauty, that is why it was used to declare love. Both the shell and the apple are attributes of Aphrodite (or Venus) and, therefore, erotic symbols to the ancient Greeks and Romans. In Latin and Greek, “throwing the apples to someone” (usually to a girl) is similar to declare love. In Latin it would be said “peteri qualis mandam”, and the expression would be equivalent to “throw a pass to someone”. 
On the other hand, mythology uses apples as symbols of love and beauty. In Greek mythology, Atlanta refused to marry unless the suitor could defeat her in a running race. A suitor, called Milano, reached the goal when he dropped three apples (gifts of Venus, the Goddess of Love) during the competition. Atlanta stopped to pick the apples, losing the competition for what she became his wife.