Abundance with the Cornucopia

During our Thanksgiving meal we learned about the meaning of the cornucopia. The cornucopia is known as the horn of plenty and stands as a symbol of our holiday. I explained to our family and guests that the horn originated in the Greek mythology.

According to the ancient legend, Zeus who was the supreme deity of Greece was born to Cronus and Rhea. His parents gave him in the care of the daughters of Melisseus who was the king of Crete. The girls hid his cradle in a cave and fed him the milk of their goat Almalthea. During playtime, one of the horns of the goat broke off. Little Zeus felt bad about it and therefore gave the horn magic powers; whoever had the horn, would get their wishes fulfilled. The king’s daughters were delighted. Lateron, Zeus placed the goat’s horn (caper – goat and cornu – horn) as the constellation Capricorn in the sky, which we know as part of the Zodiac signs.

While we were eating our turkey and trimmings, we were reminded to be grateful and focus our attention on abundance, and truly believe that there is a God who supplies us with everything we need. We went around the table, and each gave an account of what we were grateful for. It made a very pleasant atmosphere and gave the food an even better flavor.

Looking at the cornucopia the next time, let the richness of flowers, fruits and grains be a symbol for prosperity. If we can focus on plenty and are grateful for having enough, the cornucopia can be a reminder all year long for abundance.

Or we can remember the wish of Zeus and the magic powers of the horn and make our dreams come true.