Thanksgiving typically conjures up mental images of harvests, feasting, abundance, and sharing that bounty with loved ones. When it comes to Thanksgiving celebrations in Texas, you can bet your cowboy hat that the meal and everything that goes with it will be Texas-sized because that’s just how things are done around here. One of the most familiar symbols of Thanksgiving and the harvest is the cornucopia basket which is also known as the “horn of plenty.”

How the Cornucopia Became a Thanksgiving Symbol

The term comes from two Latin words: cornu, meaning horn, and copiae, which translates as abundance, plenty, or copious.

The object itself dates back to the 5th century B.C. According to the Greek mythological legend, Zeus’ father, Cronus, was convinced that his baby son would grow up to overthrow him. Cronus was determined to hatch a plan to get rid of Zeus.

Rhea, Zeus’ loving mother who was aware of this, was determined to protect her son. She sent him away to live in a cave on Mount Ida where he’d be cared for by Almathea. As is typical of Greek mythology, there are multiple versions of traditional myths. Almathea was a goat who nursed Zeus while he was separated from his mother. While Almathea and Zeus were playing, he accidentally broke her horn. She was transformed into a unicorn. At some point, Zeus remorsefully returned the horn to Almathea, but the horn had acquired magical powers. The horn was continuously filled with newly harvested fruits and flowers.

How the Cornucopia is Used Today

The cornucopia that is an important fixture on many Thanksgiving dinner tables is a wicker basket that is shaped like a horn. It is filled with fruits of the harvest.

As a symbol of prosperity, it is commonly called the “horn of plenty. Other names include the horn of Almathea, the harvest cone, and the food of worship. In the context of food, it symbolizes abundance, prosperity, feasting, and harvest time.

Our Fall Harvest Cornucopia is a gorgeous symbol of the harvest and the season. We fill it with giant sunflowers, velvety red roses, butterscotch-colored chrysanthemums, burgundy carnations, orange mini carnations, and vibrant orange Asiatic lilies. We add accents of preserved oak leaves.

Add a beautiful cornucopia arrangement to your Texas size Thanksgiving table. Don’t wait to order yours from Gordon Boswell Flowers today!