Olives101.com

By Rasheeda Bhagat,

Any visitor to Athens, Greece, soon finds out that the olive tree and everything to do with it, be it the leaves, branches, olives or olive oil, is almost a kind of cult here. Considered the food of Greek Olympic gods, in Mediterranean culture the olive oil has been considered sacred for over 4,000 years.

According to ancient Greek mythology, the Goddess of Wisdom Athena “bestowed upon mankind her divine gift — the olive oil tree”. Even in modern Greek tradition, the olive and its products form an integral part of a man’s life through all the important cycles of his life.

Ancient Greek literature describes how after the birth of a child, olive leaves are burnt to give fragrance to the room; olive oil was/is used in the christening ceremony, and as the child went through school, the elders would bless him/her thus: “Just as the olive tree puts down roots and the wind does not overturn it, so may the alphabet be rooted in your mind”.

With the beneficial dietary and health benefits of olive oil being proved by medical research, the rest of the world — including Indians — are waking up to the need of including olive oil in their diet. In Greece, to have sufficient olive oil in your house was always considered the sign of a self-sufficient household.

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