“And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart:
Your seeds shall live in my body,
And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,
And your fragrance shall be my breath,
And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons.”
― Kahlil Gibran
When one thinks of an apple it isn’t the vibrant green color of the McIntosh apple that jumps to mind, nor is it the mottled red and yellow stripes of the Fuji Apple, no indeed. The apple that comes to mind, is the Red Delicious apple. The Red Delicious is so engrained in our minds as what an apple look likes, that if you ask a child to draw an apple, without question it’s going to be the red crayon they reach for. That’s why Eat A Red Apple Day exists, to celebrate this iconic member of the apple family, and its history.
History of Eat A Red Apple Day
America became quite the hotbed of apple development after the travels of Johnny Appleseed, and by the late 1800’s apple trees were everywhere in an amazing rainbow of delicious variety. So much so, in fact, that apple varieties were being developed as a response to the ease of transporting apples on a commercial level around the US. The ‘Ben Davis’ Apple was the reigning king of apples in 1880, due to its ability to handle rough growing conditions and its ability to keep a long time. But it wasn’t considered the best tasting one, and as moving produce from farm to store became easier better tasting was winning out.
Red Delicious held its position as the most popular apple in the world well into the 1980’s, when its popularity began to decline. How popular was it, exactly? Washington State is one of the biggest producers of apples, and the red delicious constituted 75% of the state’s production. While it’s shrunk to 1/3rd of that amount since, it’s still a massive part of the world’s production of apples.
How To Celebrate Eat A Red Apple Day
Start out by posting #NationalEatARedAppleDay on twitter, Facebook, and other social media, and then pack one in your lunch before you leave for the work. In fact, buy a bag and hand them out at your office so that everyone can enjoy this delicious all-American apple. Eat A Red Apple Day is also a great time to indulge in everyone’s favorite, Apple Pie!
