By Linda Elissalde
Teachers have been receiving apples as gifts for a long time. Why? Apples do have quite a history. Some Biblical scholars declare an apple as the forbidden fruit that tempted Eve. (I personally would have preferred a tomato.) However, there are also many positive attributes. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” “You are the apple of my eye.” Bing Crosby sang a hit duet in 1939 named “An Apple For The Teacher”.
In the past Teachers often lived with families of school children and were paid very little. (Nothing new about that last part even with modern school systems.) Karen Hood wrote that during the 16th to 18th centuries parents in Denmark and Sweden gifted teachers with baskets of apples and food to compensate for poor wages.
Families on the American frontier often housed and provided food for teachers if they wanted to have a school. School started in September. Apples were abundant and harvested at that time. The tradition of apples for teachers resulted in a common slang term in the 1920s. “Apple Polishing” was used to mean trying to gain favor with someone. Nevertheless, apples have remained a traditional gift for one’s instructor.
Every year Bay Vue Methodist Church holds a special ceremony to bless teachers, students and schools. Bolivar Peninsula’s Crenshaw Staff were honored this past Sunday. Pastor Hudson’s sermon and church music emphasized the joy, the love and the importance of instructing children. Honorees joined the congregation in Fellowship Hall after the service for a delicious brunch. Well, what about those apples? Each attendee received one. You just cannot show gratitude without handing over AN APPLE FOR THE TEACHER!
