Common Symbols of Love
Hearts Although its medical and scientific significance is very different from its symbolic meaning, the heart is still one of the most widely recognized symbols of love and passion. That could be because, in Greek mythology, Cupid would pierce people’s hearts with arrows—and, in many other cultures, the heart has been associated with strong emotion. Think about how your heart beats faster (and louder) when you’re with someone you love or are crushing on—or the feelings of intense happiness that make your chest feel lighter. Those could also contribute to the heart being associated with love!
Apples Apples are believed to be symbols of love, desire, and abundance. Greek mythology depicts apples as symbols of courtship (with Gaia, the goddess of nature, giving apples to Hera, the goddess of marriage and family, during her wedding). Thus, the tradition of couples sharing apples at their weddings goes back to the 7th century B.C.! It was done to signify a couple’s hope for a long, fruitful marriage. Apples also represent lasting beauty in Norse mythology since it was said that eating the apples from Iðunn’s garden (the goddess of youth) could prevent disease and aging. Furthermore, in Chinese culture, apple blossoms are a symbol of adoration and affection. However, apples later came to symbolize temptation in the Christian religion (specifically the temptation of Adam and Eve), which some compare to desire and lust.
Claddagh The Claddagh is a Celtic symbol with a crown (symbolizing loyalty), two hands (symbolizing bonded friendship), and a heart (symbolizing love). It’s often featured on Celtic rings and other jewelry because of this symbolism! The Claddagh is especially popular on engagement rings because of the folktale associated with it: According to Irish folklore, the symbol is connected to the village of Claddagh outside Galway, where pirates captured a man named Richard. Richard was forced to work as a smith and saved up metal scraps (either silver or gold, depending on the legend) to create the first Claddagh ring for the love he was forced to leave behind, Margaret. When Richard finally escaped and returned home, he gave the ring to Margaret as an engagement gift.
Roses Roses are a common symbol of love (and gift between lovers) today. But their connection to love actually dates all the way back to ancient times, when they were associated with Aphrodite and Venus—the Greek and Roman goddesses of love, respectively. Specific colors also have meanings: yellow for joyful love, red for passion, pink for true love, and white for purity. Other flowers connected to love include: Jasmine. It’s associated with love within the Hindu religion. It grows in the foothills of the Himalayas, which is sacred ground in India, and it also represents purity. Lotus. These flower represent love, growth, purity, enlightenment, and transformation. Red lotuses specifically mean love and passion! Sunflowers. Because these bright flowers turn toward the sun during the daytime, they’re thought to represent devoted love. Primrose. All flowers have a specific meaning that’s part of the “language” of flowers, and primroses mean “I can’t love without you.” Peony. Peonies are a popular choice for wedding bouquets because they represent the hope for a long, joyful marriage. Camellia. Camellia flowers have different meanings based on color; pink is love and longing, white means “You’re adorable,” and red is passion, meaning “You’re a flame in my heart.”
Harp Harps have been symbols of love since ancient times and have different meanings worldwide. Celtic culture views the harp as a bridge of love that connects heaven and earth, while in Norway and Iceland, the strings of the harp are said to form a ladder representing the rise to higher levels of affection and love. Plus, many love songs utilize the harp because of its sweet, gentle sound!
Birds Many cultures see a wide variety of birds as symbols of love, from graceful swans to tiny hummingbirds! It’s not hard to see why: birds fly through the sky, and the joyful feelings associated with love can make a person feel like they’re about to start flying, too. Birds that are symbols of love include: Doves. Doves represent love, peace, and fidelity—mainly because they mate for life! They were also considered sacred by the Greeks and Romans and associated with each culture’s respective goddess of love. In ancient Aztec culture, the goddess of love Xochiquetzal was also associated with doves. Swans. Like doves, swans mate for a long time (often for life), making them symbols of love and fidelity. Courting swans touch their beaks together as a gesture of affection, and their necks form a heart shape when they do. Birds of Paradise. They represent passion because of the way they attract their mates with elaborate, over-the-top displays and bright feathers. Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are associated with love because of the way they flit through the air and hover almost weightlessly—a reminder of the way the heart can feel when in love.
Cupid Cupid is traditionally depicted as a young child with a bow, said to pierce people’s hearts with his arrows and cause them to fall deeply in love. This dates back to Greek and Roman mythology; Cupid was known as Eros, the god of passion and desire in ancient Greece. In ancient Rome, Eros became Cupid—still representing passion and said to be the son of the goddess of love. In Greek and Roman art, Cupid is often shown with a blindfold (to represent the blindness of unconditional love).
Love knots Love knots are a Celtic symbol dating back to ancient times; the interlaced design of the knot represents eternal love—no beginning and no end, just ongoing devotion and the binding of two souls forever. The love knot likely originated in the 3rd century B.C. from the Roman empire before being adopted by Christians around 450 A.D to decorate crosses and manuscripts. Wedding rings with a Celtic design still often feature love knots today, making them an enduring symbol of love! There’s also a Celtic tradition called “handfasting,” in which a couple’s hands are tied together during their wedding ceremony. Handfasting represents union and commitment—and, together with the love knot, also represents everlasting love. A similar wedding tradition in the Hindu faith is called “Granthi Bandhanam,” wherein scarves worn by the couple are tied together. This represents the bond between Parvati, the goddess of love, and her spouse, Shiva (the god of power).
Kokopelli In Native American culture and particularly within the Hopi tribe, Kokopelli is a fertility deity associated with music, courtship, and matrimony. Often depicted with a plumed headdress and flute in various works of art and folklore, Kokopelli’s love-flute was said to be used to attract matches. In Hopi rituals, a man would play the love flute to win a maiden’s affection, then break the flute after marrying as a sign of commitment and enduring love.
Maple leaves The symbolism of maple leaves comes mainly from China and Japan, where the sweetness of maple tree sap (and maple syrup) represents the sweetness of love! That’s why maple leaves are common in Japanese ukiyo-e art from the Edo period—which is a type of woodblock print and painting.
Seashells Like roses, seashells are associated with Aphrodite (the ancient Greek goddess of love)—especially the conch shell. Seashells are also believed to represent the protectiveness that comes from love (since hard mollusk shells can protect the pearls growing inside them). So, if you find a conch or mollusk shell, you’re also looking at a symbol of love!
Osram ne Nsoromma The Osram Ne Nsoromma is a traditional Akan symbol (from Africa) with a star and half moon—and it’s a symbol of love! The moon and star represent the harmony in a relationship between two people. Akan symbols (including the Osram Ne Nsoromma) are often stamped on Adinkra, a cotton cloth from West Africa.
Ankh The Ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol for love, also known as a crux ansata. It looks like a cross with a loop on top and represents immortality, life, fertility, energy, and joy as well as love. It’s also a symbol of balance between opposite forces (like femininity and masculinity).
Rings Rings are loops with no beginning or end, which is why they’re also symbols of enduring love. Rings have been exchanged between spouses as far back as the Roman empire—and exchanged between lovers even longer, back to the days of ancient Egypt (when lovers braided rings out of reeds). Thus, the ring has endured as a symbol of love and marriage throughout the centuries into modern times.
Candles Candles represent love for several reasons: first, they’re often used for romantic mood lighting! They create an atmosphere of excitement, intimacy, and mystique. The flames of a candle are also associated with the warmth of passionate love, and the flickering light symbolizes the passion that fuels a pair of lovers. There’s also the concept of “keeping the candle burning” to light someone’s way home, which is symbolic of nurturing feelings of love even when your partner is away.
Rose quartz Rose quartz has been a symbol of love since around 600 B.C. It’s featured in legends from numerous ancient cultures, including Greece, Egypt, and China, wherein rose quartz was believed to incite feelings of self-love—and help people find romantic love as well! Today, rose quartz is still symbolic of unconditional love, joy, and emotional healing. Rose quartz is also one of the gemstones believed to help open the heart chakra (which is why it’s associated with emotional healing).
Infinity symbol Like the love knot, the infinity symbol represents everlasting love because it has no beginning and no end—it’s a loop twisted into a figure 8 shape. The infinity symbol has been used as a symbol of love in ancient cultures, including Rome, Tibet, India, and Greece; as such, it’s also a popular tattoo choice among couples and people in love!
Three-leaf clovers You’ve probably heard that four-leaf clovers are lucky—but did you know that three-leaf clovers have meaning, too? As the national symbol of Ireland, three-leaf clovers represent love, faith, and hope. Irish couples often wear them on their wedding day to bring prosperity into the marriage. Because of their three leaves, clovers are also symbolic of the Holy Trinity.
Triskele The Triskele is a Celtic symbol featuring three interlocked spirals; while the spirals themselves represent fire, earth, and water, the line connecting them represents love and unity. That’s why the Triskele is a symbol of love (among other things) and is still depicted on jewelry—including pendants and earrings—today!
Venus Venus is a planet in our solar system, but it’s also the name of the Roman goddess of love and sexual desire. The symbol of the planet Venus is a circle on top of a cross—which is also the female gender symbol. In European traditions, the symbol represents infatuation, sexual desire, and longing. In Indian traditions, it represents fertility, beauty, and purity.
Ladybugs Ladybugs—those cute, red and black-spotted bugs—are commonly symbols of good luck. Among some Asian cultures, however, they can also represent love; it’s said that if you capture and release a ladybug, it’ll fly to your true love and tell them your name. Before long, your true love will find you!
Diamonds Today, diamonds are often used in engagement rings and jewelry to show love between partners. That practice goes back to around 1477 when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave his new wife, Mary of Burgundy, a diamond ring for their wedding. Beyond that, ancient Greek mythology claimed that Cupid used diamond-tipped arrows to shoot couples (and nurture love between them).
Triangles In ancient Egypt, triangles represented both romantic love and familial love between a mother, father, and child. In the Buddhist Shri Yantra, the triangle is thought to invoke love energy. And, furthermore, an upside-down triangle is a symbol for a vessel filled with love!
Kisses Kissing is another widespread symbol of affection and love—and even the image of puckered lips can symbolize the idea of a kiss when you can’t actually be there in person to smooch your beloved. Kissing isn’t necessarily a universal practice, but it’s common enough to be widely recognized! Kissing feels especially intimate because the lips are sensitive and have more nerve activity—which may be why it’s a common gesture between lovers.
Clasped hands Joined or clasped hands are a common symbol of love and attachment today (since many couples regularly hold hands to show affection). However, clasped hands have symbolized love for a long time! In the Victorian era, for example, clasped hands on a tombstone meant the living were still holding onto their departed loved ones. Clasped hands don’t necessarily mean romantic love, either; they can symbolize affection between family and friends, too. For another example, the joined hands of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were used to represent friendship between Germany and England. One legend says that a man proposed marriage to his love by asking for her hand, thus leading to clasped hands becoming a symbol of love—but this may or may not be true.
The Psychology & Significance of Love Symbols
Early psychologists believed the mind uses symbols to represent ideas. Sigmund Freud, for example, believed that the subconscious mind could express urges and feelings in symbolic form through dreams and speech patterns. Carl Jung (Freud’s student) theorized that some symbols—called concept archetypes—were so deeply ingrained in the human psyche that they appeared across worldwide cultures and history. Contemporary psychology supports the idea that many people can more easily remember symbolic word pairings, which explains how so many symbols of love have endured or become popular (like the heart or ring). Basically, the mind can create an innate connection between a symbol and its related idea or concept, thus giving that symbol added significance!
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