The International Year of Forests, 2011
The tree can be symbolic of the force of life in its guise as the Tree of Life, or of man, or even of the family (the family tree). The cycle of the seasons and the tree's death each year and return to life in springtime meant it was adopted as a symbol of fertility and rebirth: the traditions of the May tree and the Christmas tree are telling examples.
Some trees have their own specific symbolism: the olive tree represents peace and serenity (it is also a symbol of Christ) while the oak embodies strength and longevity. Abraham received his revelation from Yahweh by an oak tree. The oak was also revered by the Celts. In India, the fig tree is the embodiment of eternity; the Bodhi Tree, under whose shade the Buddha achieved enlightenment. In Japan, hanami, the season when the cherry trees, the sakura, blossom, is an event celebrated throughout the country.
"Like a tree in the city, I was born in the concrete"; as for the urban tree, it fulfills its functions admirably, be they social, urban or ecological, despite being subject to constraints that it would not encounter in a natural environment.
