Dove Pattern

What Meanings Does the Dove Carry?

The dove is a bird that we often find to be used as a symbol in a lot of meaningful and wholesome events. And it has been like that for thousands of years, as the dove often appeared in ancient literature and art. The dove has also been deemed a meaningful symbol across cultures and religions.

The dove’s soft features and placid spirit make it a perfect representation of love, peace, and purity. As a love symbol, dove patterns or icons can usually be found in wedding celebrations or during Valentine’s Day. Some people even include a ceremony of releasing white doves during their wedding to represent a wish for a harmonious future. The reasons why doves have become such a popular symbol of love mainly come from their nature. Doves are calm birds, and they have rather adorable looks with their small beaks and smooth feathers. Also, experts have found that most doves are monogamous, meaning that they have a long-term pair and even share the nesting and parenting duties. This nature then becomes the symbol of wishes for the newlywed couple.

Doves are also commonly found in religious literature like the Bible. This bird is mentioned 74 times in the Bible and mostly in relation to peace, harmony, purity, and gentleness. One of the most famous pieces is the story of Noah, who sent out a dove from the ark to check out the flood. When the dove came back to the ark, it brought an olive tree’s twig, and by that Noah knew that the flood was receding. The olive tree’s twig then became the symbol of peace, love, and a new start; hence, a lot of people pair a dove and an olive tree’s twig in their wedding illustration.

Oftentimes, doves also become the symbol of the Holy Spirit. When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, there is a story in the Bible that tells this story. ‘As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.’ (Matthew 3:16).

The dove is also a popular bird across cultures and traditions. For example, in ancient Greek and Roman mythology, the dove is believed to be the symbol of love, beauty, and fertility. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was often portrayed accompanied by doves or travelling with a chariot drawn by doves. In many myths, the dove is usually seen as a mediator between gods and humans. It is believed that doves bring blessings and good fortune, which makes them gain popularity as symbolism for various good things.

How to Creatively Use the Dove Pattern Printable?

The Dove Pattern Printable is a versatile and flexible digital medium that can be utilized for various projects, ranging from wedding parties and religious ceremonies, family gatherings, to classroom activities.  

Wedding Party

You can use the dove templates on this page to make wedding invitations, banners, guest place cards, and photo backdrops. Doves are quite popular for weddings because of their monogamous nature, which becomes the symbol of long-lasting marriage.

Church Ceremonies

Usually, dove patterns are used for baptism or communion. This is because they symbolize the Holy Spirit, peace, and the purity of Christ.

Classroom Activities

With the Dove Pattern Printable, teachers can engage the students in fun and exciting lesson activities. Some recommended activities are building a paper dove, classroom decorating, and dove coloring. With some creativity, you can also incorporate this dove pattern into various subjects of lessons.

What Makes People Love Doves?

People have always loved dove patterns  as decorations because they carry symbolic meanings and because of their visuals and natural habits:

• Doves are a soft and adorable type of bird. Their behaviour is rather calm compared to other birds.
• Doves' visuals spark a serene atmosphere, making them perfect for events like weddings or religious events.
• Doves have soft and melodic calls that are nice to listen to and enjoy.
• Doves are quiet and friendly with humans, which makes them a perfect pet.