21st October - Apple Day
Written by Anne Newman 20th October 2019
The first offical Apple Day in England was celebrated on 21 October 1990 at an event in Covent Garden, London, and has been celebrated in each subsequent year.
This day was created to recognize that apples are unique to their orchards and that orchard diversity is very important. It celebrates the apple in all its various forms and reminds us that apples are shiny, tasty, and healthy.
Apple Day events range in size from minor to full blown fairs in villages all over the country. They can be large or small, from apple games in a garden to large village fairs with cookery demonstrations, games, apple identification, juice and cider, gardening advice, and the sale of many hundreds of apple varieties.
Common Ground describe the day as a way of celebrating and demonstrating that variety and richness matter to a locality and that it is possible to effect change in your place.
Common Ground has used the apple as a symbol of the physical, cultural and genetic diversity we should not let slip away.
In linking particular apples with their place of origin, they hope that orchards will be recognized and conserved for their contribution to local distinctiveness, including the rich diversity of wildlife they support.
Celebrating Apple Day is as easy as picking out your favorite apple and taking a bite out of it or maybe curling up with a book and some hot apple cider.
There are also a variety of Apple Day events that are not only held all over the United Kingdom but also now across Europe and the United States. These events contain all sorts of apple-related activities – including the blessing of the apple trees, which just so happens to be an ancient pagan tradition.
National Apple Day is also celebrated in India and many other countries are adding it to their day's of celebration.
Did you know there are more varieties of apples than any other fruit?
- There are over 8,000 apple varieties worldwide
- Apple trees can take as long as 5 years to begin producing apples
- An average apple tree can produce over 800 pounds of apples
- Apples are actually a member of the rose family
- It takes over 30 apples to make one gallon of apple cider
- The U.S has over 2500 different apple varieties but only the crab-apple is native
- Apple trees can live over 100 years
- Malusdomesticaphobia is a fear of apples
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Apples and Tara Celebrations
In 2018 we walked the Labyrinth at An Tobar.
Eating an apple you connect to what created it and what it provides. Appreciating all that went into an apple you relish the fruit as a whole, the beautiful end result. Liken yourself to that apple, realise that you are the outcome of what you take in. You appreciate yourself and all that has created you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
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Anne is sharing a series of events throughout the year - you can find them listed by clicking to the link Feast Days & Festivals
