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The olive tree is a symbol of peace. Olive oil is famous for goodness and purity.  Olive groves are thousands of years old. Some olive groves in Greece and Italy are at least 4,500 years old! Olive trees live for hundreds of years.  There are many myths and legends about olive trees.

Olives were important to many ancient civilisations. From paintings in tombs that are thousands of years old, we learn how the ancient Egyptians made olive oil. Historians found olive seeds that are 8,000 years old in a place in Spain.  

The Greeks linked the olive to the idea of wisdom as well as wealth. The goddess Athena holds an olive branch. This shows her offering peace and plenty. The city of Athens owed its start to the olive. Athena created the soil for the city by striking the ground with her bow. An olive grew out of the ground at that spot. Athens always had food and shade from that time on. Today, the olive tree is the national symbol of Greece.

The making of olive oil has not changed since ancient times. Most olive farmers are proud of the way they make their oil.  Olives are either green or black. But the oil is always a golden green. Farmers wash the olives they harvest. They then crush the olives between stones. This makes a thick paste. They press this paste to squeeze out the oil. They then filter the oil. Olive oil stays good for a very long time. The best oil is very expensive to buy.