By Josette Keelor — Daily Staff Writer

Overflowing with a variety of all that autumn has to offer, the cornucopia — a symbol of literal abundance — is a traditional sign of the harvest.

Meaning "horn of plenty," the symbol has been passed down from one generation to the next for millennia, dating back to ancient Greece and Rome.

Today's images of the cornucopia are not all that different than they were about 3,000 years ago, though they are now associated mainly with the fall and can include anything from flowers to fruit.

According to local experts, the best horns are those that reflect the season.

A combination of different Greek myths contributed to today's idea of a cornucopia, says the Web site, www.pantheon.org. According to legend, Zeus, supreme ruler of Mount Olympus, formed a cornucopia from one of the horns of the goat Amaltheia out of gratitude for her caring for him when he was an infant. The horn was blessed to forevermore be filled with whatever its possessor wished.

Another legend tells of the horn deriving from Achelous, a Greek river god who had assumed the shape of a bull before he was killed by Heracles, a mythical god of amazing strength. Heracles then broke off one of the bull's horns and fashioned it into a cornucopia.

The cornucopia is also associated with other ancient mythical gods, such as Justitia, the Roman goddess of justice, who is depicted holding a cornucopia and scales, and Abundantia, the Roman goddess of abundance, prosperity and good fortune, who distributes grain and money from the cornucopia she carries.

The word cornucopia comes from the Latin "Cornu" meaning "horn" and "copiae" meaning "plenty."

Since Thanksgiving Day celebrates all that Americans have and for which they are thankful, usually in the form of a grand feast, a cornucopia is a natural choice for decoration at this festive time of year.

To celebrate the historic image of the horn of plenty, give your cornucopia the effect of being an endless source of sustenance.

"We think of it as whatever is in season," says Joe Lizer, owner of the Virginia Farm Market north of Winchester. In summer, people might fill a horn of plenty with tomatoes, sweet corn, broccoli, cucumbers and radishes, he says. As recent tradition has encouraged people to associated a cornucopia with autumn, many will choose more cool-weather produce for their fall arrangement.

Made from basket weave, ceramic or even burlap, a horn of plenty can be demonstrative of many of the seasonal offerings.

"Usually you think of pumpkins and Indian corn and winter squash, maybe gourds, maybe apples, just anything fall-like spilling out of the basket," Lizer says.

"I like apples, pears, the hard-skinned fruit," says Mable Allen, manager of the design room at Colonial Flowers and Gifts on Valley Avenue in Winchester. Indian corn and nuts are other items she suggests.

"You can use just about anything that will fit your own decor in your home," she says.

"Anything in a variety of sizes and a variety of shapes and a variety of colors would make a more attractive cornucopia," Lizer says.

This practical centerpiece can take the place of a fruit bowl, and it can be refilled as the food dwindles.

Even if your cornucopia is meant simply as a Thanksgiving centerpiece to be enjoyed for only the holiday weekend, it can still embrace the season's offerings and enhance any family get-together.

Fresh flower arrangements are another option that local florists offer for a cornucopia. Allen recommends including floral foam and a plant preservative in the arrangement to keep the flowers looking nice for as long as possible.

"We always use that in conditioning our flowers and in every flower arrangement," she says.

Allen suggests not mixing flowers and fruit, because the produce will cause the flowers to die more quickly. Skewering fruit with a stick is an option people might use to keep apples or pears in place in the arrangement, but Allen warns that the fruit will have a shorter shelf life if punctured.

"I would say it probably should last three to four days," she says, but it will depend on the temperature of the room, she adds.

Flowers, such as carnations, mums and lilies, will last several weeks in an arrangement, she says.

Using artificial flowers or fruit in a cornucopia is another option.

Allen says that a lot of her customers like the look of preserved silk flowers in a centerpiece display. Besides offering less upkeep than a fresh flower arrangement, artificial flowers are much less costly over the course of two or three months.

"In today's economy, you need something that's gonna last," she says.

Customers are also welcome to bring their own cornucopia with them to have it filled with fresh flowers or an artificial arrangement. Besides saving on the basic cost of the basket, using the same cornucopia each year can add to a family's fall tradition, filling each cornucopia with its own history.

*Contact Josette Keelor at jkeelor@nvdaily.com