Fruit Baskets of Abundance

Today, we often send gift baskets in celebration or times when people are most in need of comfort. Although this tradition is modern, the practice of giving flower arrangements and foodstuff as a means of comfort goes back to ancient times and holds other meanings as well.

The ancestor of the fruit basket is the Thanksgiving cornucopia, perhaps one of the most well known signs of honor and wealth. The horn of plenty spilling out the harvest gatherings has become a symbol of the holiday and of the gratitude for having enough food for all and goes back to Greek and Roman times. Hearkening to pagan roots, the twisted curve of the basket came from the legend of the Goddess of Plenty, Amalthea, who appeared as a goat before Zeus. To honor the god, Amalthea broke off one of her horns, filled it with fruit, grains, and other offerings, and presented this to the lord of the gods. In gratitude, Zeus immortalized her in the sky as a constellation.

Honor
In many cultures, people of this world were concerned with staving off famine in the next life. In the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and tribal kings of European tribes, fruit baskets brimming with harvest riches, grains, fresh flowers, and other foodstuffs were placed with the deceased for feasting in the afterlife to indicate their high status among their people. These gifts were also placed to ensure the well-being of the loved one in the next world. Worldwide, other archaeological sites have indicated that tribal chiefs and important persons in villages enjoyed a similar treatment, being ushered into the next realm with great tribute.

Strength
Sharing food has always been a way for people to show friendship and affection, but it also indicated power. Indigenous peoples of North America held great potlatches and feasts to display wealth and show friendship with other tribes or even the pioneers. Just as using fresh flowers to decorate, the bride for the wedding ceremony was a way to emphasize her beauty, large banquets with plenty of game, vegetables, and breads indicated the strength and vigor of the tribe and her resources. When visiting tribal leaders gathered, these gift baskets were often exchanged, usually containing prized second-hand possessions, food, and other valuables.

Wealth
Recorded history indicates that elaborate flower arrangements graced the rooms of the emperors of China and Japan. Visitors from abroad as well as from their own lands immortalized the fragrance and beauty of the imperial displays in their journal writings and letters home. Likewise, fruit indicated prosperity. Royal banquets offered local and exotic fruits as a display of wealth, power, and privilege.

The persistence of the fruit basket as a gift is a reminder of times when fruits were not so easily come by. Fruits were especially prized, as they were once so expensive that the average citizen could not afford them. As a rare commodity, kings and queens usually enjoyed fruits before every day people had regular access to them. During Victorian times, it was popular to build solariums alongside the estates of the wealthy or alongside royal palaces. This permitted the growth of oranges and other fruits during the winter months and afforded the pleasure of growing fresh flowers year-round.

The notion of the fruit basket as a special treat was not limited to Europe, however. On the American frontier, one well-known author wrote of receiving oranges as a stocking gift. The writer was charmed and delighted, as the citrus was a rare treat in the Christmas season. The orange was equal to another very uncommon treat, a white sugar cake that she received for her birthday.

Accompanied by flower arrangements, gift baskets remain some of the best-liked presents to give to loved ones and acquaintances. Since they offer many items and great enjoyment for a long time, these items will likely continue to be popular gift choices.