In the cornucopia, nature’s gifts abound

One of the longest-recognized symbols of the Thanksgiving holiday is the cornucopia, a horn-shaped container overflowing with foods like produce and nuts, as well as flowers and other plants. A symbol of abundance, the cornucopia, or ‘horn of plenty,’ has come to represent the bountiful gifts of nature, harvested and enjoyed by humanity.

In the ancient world, the cornucopia was called ‘the horn of Amalthea,’ after a nurse of Zeus, father of the gods. According to Greek mythology, as a baby, Zeus was playing with Amalthea and accidentally broke off one of her horns, rendering it with the power of eternal nourishment. And in both Europe and Asia, the cornucopia was used to carry newly harvested fruits and vegetables. The harvester would sling the basket across his or her torso, or wear it on his or her back, leaving hands free to pick the food in the fields and orchards.

References to the cornucopia can be found in the Bible; in the book of Job, Job’s daughter was named Amaltheias Karas, a nod to the word’s ancient Greek roots. The use of the name ‘Amaltheias’ would have identified Job’s daughter as both virtuous and beautiful.

Today, we usually think of the cornucopia as being hollow and made of wicker, thanks mostly to its appearance in works of art from the ancient world to the 19th century.

“Thanks to its appearances in artwork that portrayed pastoral abundance, the cornucopia became a symbol of the harvest season, and its image morphed from its origin as an actual horn to just a horn-shaped basket,” according to a 2015 article in Atlas Obscura.

“It also became a more common physical artifact found at harvest festivals.”
Besides being associated with a bountiful harvest and the Thanksgiving holiday, it also appears on several state flags throughout North America and other countries around the globe.

“Two cornucopias are seen in the flag and state seal of Idaho. The Great Seal of North Carolina depicts Liberty standing and Plenty holding a cornucopia. The coats of arms of Colombia, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Victoria, Australia, and Kharkiv, Ukraine, also feature the cornucopia, symbolizing prosperity,” the same article notes.

The cornucopia can also be found in works of literature, the most modern being in the dystopian young adult series “The Hunger Games.”