Dove: Symbol of Peace, the Holy Spirit and Noah, and Releasing Doves

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A dove is not a pigeon… or almost

In everyday language, “dove” evokes a white, elegant bird, a symbol of peace, while “pigeon” refers to the city bird. For zoologists, both words cover the same family, the Columbidae, with more than three hundred species. The white bird used in releases and images is most often a white domestic pigeon, descended from the rock dove.

This clarification does not diminish the symbol: it reminds us that symbolism is built through images, and that the real bird is more ordinary than the dove of legend.

Noah, the olive and peace

In the biblical account of the Flood (Genesis 8), Noah first releases a raven, then a dove. The second time, it returns with an olive leaf in its beak: the waters have receded and life begins again. This is the origin of the association between the dove, the olive branch and peace.

The olive already carried a value of peace in ancient Greece: the goddess Athena had made it grow in Athens, and an olive branch was a sign of supplication and truce. The meeting of the two images is therefore a meeting of traditions.

In religious traditions

Tradition	Role of the dove
Christianity	The Holy Spirit descends “like a dove” at the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16 and parallel accounts)
Judaism	Offering of the poor at the Temple (Leviticus); image of love in the Song of Songs
Islam	Traditional accounts relate doves at the entrance of the cave where the Prophet took shelter during the hijra; their historical value is debated
Mesopotamia, Greece	Bird of Ishtar and of Aphrodite: love and fertility

The same image thus carries different meanings depending on the religion: peace, spirit, love or refuge.

Picasso and the dove of peace

The modern image of the dove of peace owes much to Pablo Picasso. His lithograph of a white dove, drawn in 1949, was chosen by Louis Aragon for the poster of the World Congress of Partisans of Peace, held in Paris. Picasso named his daughter, born that same year, Paloma, “dove” in Spanish.

The dove later became the symbol of a peace movement strongly marked by the context of the Cold War. Today it serves many other causes, from the United Nations to wedding invitations.

Releasing doves: what you should know

At weddings, ceremonies or funerals, doves are sometimes released. These birds are almost always white homing pigeons, able to find their way back to their loft. Several animal protection organisations advise against releases, because of the stress of transport, the risk of predation and disorientation, especially for young birds or birds released far from home.

If you want a symbolic gesture, alternatives exist: a folded paper dove, an invitation card, or the planting of an olive tree. For a memorial ceremony, choose what brings comfort to the people concerned.

Possible symbolic readings

• Peace, reconciliation, the end of a conflict.
• Breath and spirit in the Christian tradition.
• Fidelity and tenderness: pairs of doves are a common motif on love cards.
• Simplicity: a gentle bird, without weapons, that does not attack.
• Grief and remembrance: sometimes chosen for tributes, with care.

None of these meanings is a fact: they are carried by culture. They invite reflection, not prediction.

Giving it, wearing it

As a pendant, a brooch or a decoration, the dove is a gift for a christening, a communion, a wedding or a reconciliation. If you give it to someone of a different faith, you can simply speak of peace. White or pale stones are often associated with the dove: moonstone, selenite, rose quartz. See our pendants range.

Symbolically, the dove sits alongside the unicorn, the phoenix and, in the tarot, the imagery of Temperance. Our stone descriptions remain honest: Our commitments.

Frequently asked questions

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The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Symbol dictionary.