I just could never understand the tradition of giving your teachers an apple. It seemed so odd to give a piece of fruit to someone who was going to lead you through a bit of learning. I did a bit of research on the web and found that this a uniquely American custom. Back in the good ol’ days of “Little House on the Prairie” they paid teachers very, very little (doesn’t sound like this is not relegated to the “Little House”. I know plenty of teachers who live in the “Crowded Little Condo Too Close to the Highway” that suffer a similar fiscal problem!)
The idea of the apple was a bit like bartering. If you wanted to win favor with the teacher you brought an apple on the first day of school to show that you were indeed planning to “take care” of the teacher’s basic needs throughout the year – or at least until after the first report card. In those early days of America it seemed like teachers actually survived on such bartering!
It also seems that there may have actually been a bribing that was involved. “An apple for the teacher will always do the trick,” sings famous crooner Bing Crosby, “when you don’t know your lesson in arithmetic.”
Perhaps apples were a way of keeping teachers in good health enough to survive the school year without good health coverage – – the old “apple a day” theory.
Perhaps apples are there to remind educators that the fall of mankind came from an apple – and teachers best beware that you are not responsible for turning our face away from God and leading us out of the garden out of Eden.
I got an apple Friday at school from one of wonderful seniors. For no reason he just walked up to my chair and handed one to me. Of course, his apple was a MOST fancy one with a name brand and covered in chocolate and caramel, etc. Obviously this apple set him back a few dollars. I thought it was funny to get this apple – – but the real beauty of this gift hit me. I am a teacher. I am his teacher. I love being his teacher – and he wanted to say thank you. He did it in the most old fashioned wonderful way. AND I loved it. Tradition is a beautiful practice – especially when covered with caramel. This student has set his place in my memory and in my heart.
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-do-students-give-teachers-apples-and-more-from-the-fruits-juicy-past-26381703/#TTTOO4kuJ4BljhfZ.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter