▷ Meaning of the 【ALMENDRO FLOWER】

It is very easy to recognize an almond blossom by its remarkable beauty, but we can truly appreciate the preciousness of this flower when we understand its mythical meaning.

The delicate almond blossoms have a meaning that dates back thousands of years, transcending their striking white and pinkish hues. Its time to bloom on the branches of the almond tree is when winter is almost over. At that time, they anticipate their beauty over the leaves that take a little longer to appear.

The tree itself is from Asia Minor, perhaps Egypt or Persia. There is no definitive truth about it yet. The family of this tree is the amygdaloid family.

It can be a really tall tree, since its trunk can exceed eight meters high, and the wood it produces is well known to all, since it is usually dark and quite hard. When winter is over, this trunk begins to show some small green shoots that will end up being the beautiful and elegant flowers.

A captivating detail of this flower is its symmetry, since it is considered perfect, in addition to its petals, which are five and are held by a center whose hue is darker.

The pistils are yellow and so attractive that even some birds and butterflies often come to them captivated by their beauty. Definitely, the whole almond blossom is a captivating beauty and this is the reason why many people choose an almond tree in their gardens.

The almond tree grows successfully when the soil is warm and sandy, requires little compost and is not demanding in maintenance. However, it could not survive freezing temperatures, excessive humidity, or cold winds.

The almond blossom has featured in many poems, due to its particular beauty, but its meaning is much deeper. It is even possible to find references to this tree from Greek mythology, for example, in addition to the stories of other nations.

One of the Greek narratives tells that the god Zeus dropped his vital liquid on the earth, and from there Adgistis arose, a hermaphrodite being who was later stripped of his intimate area, but when his organs fell to the ground they became the tree almond tree. Since that time, almonds have been associated with the power of procreation.

Another story tells that Fílide, a daughter of King Midas, fell madly in love with a soldier, but he had to leave to fight in the Trojan War. Since she knew that the city had fallen, she began to go every day to wait for the fleet that would return her beloved, but he did not return.

Tired, Filidé, after nine days of waiting, believes that her beloved soldier has lost his life, so she too dies from the pain. Athena was moved by all the pain that the girl felt and decided to transform her body into an almond tree.

However, the soldier had not died, but his boat had been delayed, after several failures, but he is late. Acamante had no choice but to run hard and sink into the thick of the forest to mourn his beloved.

As soon as he touched the tree, it suddenly began to bloom. It was her to give him comfort. Since then, it has been believed that almond blossoms signify love that overcomes everything, even death, or that they are a comfort to those we love. In itself, the almond blossom means eternal life.

This narration is typical of Greek culture, but within Egyptian beliefs this tree was also very important, since they believed that almonds were gifts that the gods sent to men so that they would feel satiated.

Therefore, in Egypt the almond blossom was believed to signify prosperity, good health and wealth in all its aspects. Almonds were very popular, especially in gastronomy.

But, it is also said that the special baths that Cleopatra took to rejuvenate were based on the essence of almond blossoms. Almond blossoms were so special to this culture that they were even found inside the tombs of some pharaohs, such as Tutankhamun's.

This fact is related to the belief that was held in Greece about the almond blossom and its relationship with life beyond physical death.

Within the Jewish, Christian and Islamic belief system, almond blossoms are also very relevant. Indeed, its meaning is sacred because within the Hebrew culture the word "almond" means "the one who awakens", "light", "who is vigilant", and these are transcendental words for them.

Only those who have discovered the secret that through the roots of the Almond tree we can find light and immortality, they can eat the fruit of this tree.

Within the Christian tradition, the almond blossom also occupies a very important place because it is believed that it symbolizes Christ and life in eternity. There are many paintings, especially from the Middle Ages, in which Christ and the Virgin Mary appear with the fruit of the almond tree, since the shape of this fruit tends towards the infinity of the heavens and thus expresses the union between the earthly world. and the spiritual.

Almond blossoms also appear in various biblical accounts, such as the case of Aaron's rod from which flowers and almonds emerge. All this makes the almond blossom signify eternity, gratitude, the desire to obtain forgiveness, the secret to achieve immortality, light and comfort after having lost a loved one.

Today many people use the essence of this flower to relieve stress, achieve a state of calm and have mental serenity. Although it has become popular in the field of cosmetics, its best uses will always be those that connect us with spirituality.