The oak is a common symbol of strength and endurance and has been chosen as the national tree of England, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, the United States and Wales.
In Celtic mythology it is the tree of doors, believed to be a gateway between worlds, or a place where portals could be erected.
Thor's Oak was a sacred tree of the Germanic Chatti tribe. Its destruction marked the Christianisation of the heathen tribes by the Franks.
In Classical mythology the oak was a symbol of Zeus and his sacred tree. An example is the oracle of Dodona, which in prehistory consisted solely of a holy oak.
In the Bible, the oak tree at Shechem is the site where Jacob buries the foreign gods of his people (Gen. 35.4). In addition, Joshua erects a stone under an oak tree as the first covenant of the Lord (Josh. 24.25-7).
The Oak tree is traditionally sacred to Serbs and is widely used throughout Serbia on national and regional symbols both old and new.
Several individual oak trees, such as the Royal Oak in Britain and the Charter Oak in the United States, are of great historical or cultural importance.
Iowa has designated the oak as its official state tree in 1961, and the White Oak is the state tree of Connecticut, Illinois and Maryland.
"Ambrosian Oaks" set to the Finlandia Hymn is the school song of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.
The oak is the emblem of County Londonderry in Northern Ireland, as a vast amount of the county was covered in forests of the tree until relatively recently. The name of the county comes from the city of Derry, which originally in Irish was known as Doire meaning oak.
There is a proverb, "Mighty oaks from little acorns grow." Another is: "Every majestic oak tree was once a nut who stood his ground."
Many woods are connected to certain birth months, according to the Irish, and oak is the wood of June/July. However, in some variations, rosewood has been known to be June's wood.
Raleigh, North Carolina has been nicknamed the "City of Oaks."
The Romania national rugby union team is nicknamed The Oaks.
Oak leaves symbolize rank in the United States Armed Forces. A gold oak leaf indicates an O-4 (Major or Lt. Commander), whereas a silver oak leaf indicates an O-5 (Lt. Colonel or Commander). Arrangements of oak leaves, acorns and sprigs indicate different branches of the United States Navy Staff corps officers.
Oak leaves were added to the Iron Cross for added status.
People of the Oaks is the name of a quintet of musicians residing in Northern California. They are known for their optimism.
You guys are actually still playing music? Seriously, get into phone sex...I doubled my salary and improved my lifestyle within weeks. I don't even have to live in the back of my car or sleep under a warm pile of newspapers now.
Actually, it's good to see a great group of musicians still at it. Chico supergroup, maybe?
