" THE" PINEAPPLE
As seen in our logo, our club’s symbol is the pineapple. But what does the pineapple represent? Here is a little history lesson on the pineapple …
On his second voyage to the new world, Christopher Columbus wrote in his journal about the first “western encounter with the pineapple”. Not only was Columbus’s intent to find gold and riches to return to Spain, but he was also looking for new foods. He especially wanted to find sweet crops that could be shipped or grown in Europe. He and his crew landed on the Caribbean Island of Guadalupe; here the sailors enjoyed a sweet, succulent fruit – the pineapple. This fruit had already become a staple of native feasts and religious rites. The fruit we know as pineapple did not originate on this island; the islanders had brought it back from Brazil and Paraguay.
In 1493, Columbus brought the first pineapple back to Renaissance Europe; at that time Europe was devoid of sweet foods and fresh fruit. The pineapple’s exotic nature and sweetness soon made it a popular treat and a curiosity for many years after its European debut. But, European gardeners found the pineapple was nearly impossible to grow; indeed, it was nearly two centuries before pineapples were successfully grown in a hothouse. Since pineapples are best when picked ripe and refrigeration was unavailable, there was not enough of this tropical treasure to go around; this made it a hot commodity. King Charles II of England posed for an official portrait showing him receiving a pineapple as a gift. Thus, the pineapple had become the symbol of royal privilege.
Since visiting was the primary means of entertainment and cultural exchange in Colonial America, the concept of hospitality was a central element in Colonial life. Often a visit centered around a meal, where dried and candied fruits were frequently served as dessert. When a shipment of whole pineapples would arrive, they usually went to the bake shops in larger cities, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. The bakers in these cities knew which hostesses were entertaining and would rent the whole pineapple for a day at an exorbitant price. These hostesses, in a desperate attempt to create a dining experience above their financial means, would place the pineapple in the middle of the table above the desserts; they were trying to hide the fact from their guests that it was rented. The more affluent bake shop clients would actually buy the same rented fruit to carve and share with their guests.
The pineapple came to symbolize the warmest welcome a hostess could extend to her guests, and often, it also served as a dessert for the meal. Creative food display became a competition among the hostesses, a way to display her personality and her family’s social status. Hostesses tried to outdo each other to create a memorable dining event. Visitors to the homes that displayed the pineapples felt particularly honored that the hostess had spared no expense to secure the fruit on their behalf.
From the Gilded Age through present day, the pineapple has become a familiar symbol of welcome, good cheer, warmth and affection between all who dwell inside the home. Any guest, invited to a party where a whole pineapple was displayed, knew that no expense was spared in guaranteeing their enjoyment. This made the crowned fruit the high symbol of social events and meant welcome, friendship, and hospitality.
Now you know the history of the pineapple as the symbol that welcomes friends with hospitality and friendship. Therefore, it is fitting we have taken this symbol THE PINEAPPLE as our own since this is what our club is all about…
On his second voyage to the new world, Christopher Columbus wrote in his journal about the first “western encounter with the pineapple”. Not only was Columbus’s intent to find gold and riches to return to Spain, but he was also looking for new foods. He especially wanted to find sweet crops that could be shipped or grown in Europe. He and his crew landed on the Caribbean Island of Guadalupe; here the sailors enjoyed a sweet, succulent fruit – the pineapple. This fruit had already become a staple of native feasts and religious rites. The fruit we know as pineapple did not originate on this island; the islanders had brought it back from Brazil and Paraguay.
In 1493, Columbus brought the first pineapple back to Renaissance Europe; at that time Europe was devoid of sweet foods and fresh fruit. The pineapple’s exotic nature and sweetness soon made it a popular treat and a curiosity for many years after its European debut. But, European gardeners found the pineapple was nearly impossible to grow; indeed, it was nearly two centuries before pineapples were successfully grown in a hothouse. Since pineapples are best when picked ripe and refrigeration was unavailable, there was not enough of this tropical treasure to go around; this made it a hot commodity. King Charles II of England posed for an official portrait showing him receiving a pineapple as a gift. Thus, the pineapple had become the symbol of royal privilege.
Since visiting was the primary means of entertainment and cultural exchange in Colonial America, the concept of hospitality was a central element in Colonial life. Often a visit centered around a meal, where dried and candied fruits were frequently served as dessert. When a shipment of whole pineapples would arrive, they usually went to the bake shops in larger cities, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. The bakers in these cities knew which hostesses were entertaining and would rent the whole pineapple for a day at an exorbitant price. These hostesses, in a desperate attempt to create a dining experience above their financial means, would place the pineapple in the middle of the table above the desserts; they were trying to hide the fact from their guests that it was rented. The more affluent bake shop clients would actually buy the same rented fruit to carve and share with their guests.
The pineapple came to symbolize the warmest welcome a hostess could extend to her guests, and often, it also served as a dessert for the meal. Creative food display became a competition among the hostesses, a way to display her personality and her family’s social status. Hostesses tried to outdo each other to create a memorable dining event. Visitors to the homes that displayed the pineapples felt particularly honored that the hostess had spared no expense to secure the fruit on their behalf.
From the Gilded Age through present day, the pineapple has become a familiar symbol of welcome, good cheer, warmth and affection between all who dwell inside the home. Any guest, invited to a party where a whole pineapple was displayed, knew that no expense was spared in guaranteeing their enjoyment. This made the crowned fruit the high symbol of social events and meant welcome, friendship, and hospitality.
Now you know the history of the pineapple as the symbol that welcomes friends with hospitality and friendship. Therefore, it is fitting we have taken this symbol THE PINEAPPLE as our own since this is what our club is all about…