Dove

Subfamily Columbinae

Symbolism

White doves are a traditional symbol of love and peace. A dove was supposed to have been released by Noah after the flood in order to find land; it came back carrying an olive branch, telling Noah that, somewhere, there was land. A dove with an olive branch has since then come to symbolize peace. In Christian iconography, a dove also symbolizes the Holy Spirit, in reference to and where the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove at the Baptism of Jesus.

Related Topics:
Love - Peace - Noah - Olive - Christian - Iconography - Holy Spirit - Baptism of Jesus

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Doves or other birds are often released at weddings. It should be noted that these birds, unless they are trained homing pigeons, cannot survive in the wild and will either starve to death or be easy prey for predators.

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In politics the name "dove" is sometimes applied to figures who favour peaceful solutions to problems as opposed to "hawks", who favour aggressive action.

Related Topics:
Politics - Hawk

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