Apples Remind Us

Apples are a reminder that it is back-to-school time. But how did they come to represent this academic kickoff?

Perhaps it is because September is harvest time for many kinds of apples in the Northern Hemisphere. Or because of the practice from colonial times, when teachers were compensated by receiving food and housing directly from families and apples were an abundant crop.

Then of course there may be clues from the Garden of Eden story, the legend of Johnny Appleseed, and the toe-tapping popularity of that song in the 1930s by Bing Crosby and Connie Boswell, An Apple for The Teacher. Don’t forget the scientific findings that an apple a day does work.

No matter. The apples in our banner are a reminder that we’re headed back to school so it’s September in our garden and our neighborhood. And the true origin of this small red gift remains somewhat of a mystery.