"In Greco-Roman mythology the pear tree and fruit are devoted to three goddesses who were fearsome to man: Juno (goddess of marriage), Venus (goddess of love), and Pomona (goddess of gardening and harvesting). ... A good pear tree can bear fruit over several decades; that is why, in the Western world, it is also a symbol of long life as well as opulence. For Christians the pear is linked to the figure of Christ and his love for humankind. In China the fruit is a symbol of immortality and long life. In Chinese the words for pear and separation are very close phonetically, which is why the destruction of a pear tree is a bad omen and portends to death." - "The Secret Language of Flowers", by Jean-Michel Othoniel