Have you ever wondered why the “traditional” gift for a school teacher was a shiny red apple? Well, in celebration of an upcoming school year, we here at Crunch Pak decided to do a little digging into the history of this tradition. Read more to find out!
Sometime between the 16th and 18th centuries, teachers were so inadequately paid that it was difficult for them to get by despite how their work positively impacted their towns. In order to compensate these educators for their time and effort, farming families would often supplement – or even pay them entirely – with baskets of apples. This was because apples were a common and plentiful fruit, so even the poorest of families could afford to give them away.
Eventually, however, teachers’ wages began to rise – and the number of apples given to them was decreased over time. By the time it was all over, giving one shiny red apple to your teacher was more than sufficient, and the tradition we know today was born!
We had a lot of fun looking into that! Are there any other apple-related phrases or traditions you’d like Crunch Pak to look into? If so, leave us a comment below!
On that note: Have any of you (or your family) given a teacher an apple before?