Hello đ
Welcome to our little blog. We created this so that our family and friends can track our travel adventures, and also as our own travel journal. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to leave comments or get in touch!
CĂ©sar & ieva
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @ananastimes
Wondering why ananas?
Ieva has been slightly obsessed with pineapples over the past couple of years. Who wouldn’t?? They are beautiful and remind us of warmth, sun and fun holidays in some exotic land. Palm trees are pretty amazing too, but pineapples just have that additional mystery to them. As to CĂ©sar, he just loves eating and drinking them. I think he would agree that after the passion fruit, it’s the second most amazing edible thing on this planet.
So it totally made sense to name our travel journal after this symbol of happiness đ
Just because I now have time and I can indulge my passion for pineapples, here’s some random pineapple facts for you. I know, you always thought you wanted to know more about pineapples – you’re welcome.
 The name: pineapple, ananas, piña…
Interestingly, the English word “pineapple” is a bit of an anomaly. As The Guardian says, it “split UK from the rest of the world way back when it was first recorded in 1398”. From there it all went downhill: driving on the wrong side, weirdly-shaped electric plugs, and now the Brexit. It all started with the pineapple!
So it appears most of the world calls this fruit “ananas”, which comes from the original Old Tupi (native Brazilian tribe language) word “nanas”, or “excellent fruit”. Could not agree more! And it’s kind of ironic that in Brazilian portuguese it’s now actually called “abacaxi”…
Historic significance of the pineapple symbol
Like other tasty bits such as potatoes or tomatoes, the pineapples reached us after Columbus discovered the Americas. The sweet, exotic-looking fruit only grown in South America became a symbol of status and wealth. Only via a combination of speediest ships, best weather conditions, best networking skills and heaviest purse could a host show off a pineapple to their guests. To the point where King Charles II ordered a painting of himself receiving a pineapple gift, as a display of his royal privilege.
As a result, the pineapple became a symbol of prosperity and hospitality, used by architects and craftsmen to decorate building entrances, wall-papers, dishes, curtains, lamps and more. For those who got curious or just looking for an excuse to procrastinate, there’s a cool article here.
So why is it all over the H&M t-shirts today?
Today pineapples can be bought anywhere, including in a tin for a few cents. So what’s the big deal? One word – hipsters. I think this is another vintage-fun-cool-looking thing that someone dug out, posted on a blog, others imitated, then Urban Outfitters spotted, and H&M followed shortly. I must admit this is one little fashion item we totally fell for…
