Posted on 10/21/2025 7:05:27 AM PDT by Red Badger
NATIONAL APPLE DAY
National Apple Day falls on October 21 on the National Day Calendar as a day to celebrate all things apple! This food holiday is dedicated to growers in the UK and around the world to promote the rich cultural and historical significance of apples, as well as the importance of orchards and apple-related products in agriculture and heritage.
#NATIONALAPPLEDAY
There are over 7,000 recognized apple varieties globally. However, the number of apple varieties in the world is vast and can be quite challenging to quantify precisely. There are thousands of apple cultivars, each with its own unique characteristics in terms of flavor, appearance, texture. Because we use apples are used for a variety reasons, such as fresh consumption, baking, or cider production, new varieties are continuously being developed.
Not all apple varieties are widely known or commercially available. Many apple varieties are regional specialties, and their cultivation may be limited to specific areas or orchards.
Common Apple Varieties
Red Delicious apples are known for their bright red skin and sweet, mildly tart flavor. They are often enjoyed fresh but can also be used in salads and for baking.
Gala apples are small to medium-sized and have a sweet, crisp, and mildly tart flavor. They are excellent for snacking and are commonly used in salads.
Fuji apples are known for their firm texture and sweet, slightly spicy flavor. They are great for eating fresh and hold up well in storage.
Granny Smith apples are known for their bright green skin and tart, crisp flesh. They are often used in baking and for making apple pies.
Honeycrisp apples are prized for their sweet and exceptionally crisp texture. They are excellent for snacking and have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Braeburn apples have a sweet and slightly tart flavor with a crisp texture. They are versatile and can be used for both fresh eating and cooking.
Pink Lady apples are known for their sweet-tart flavor and crisp texture. They are often enjoyed fresh and are also used in salads.
CRISPY APPLE CELEBRATIONS
National Apple Day is celebrated in various ways across the world. Some of the common activities and traditions associated with the day include:
Apple Tastings: Many events feature tasting sessions where people can sample a wide variety of apple cultivars. This helps to highlight the diversity of apple flavors and textures available.
Orchard Tours: Orchards across the country often open their doors to the public on National Apple Day, allowing visitors to explore the orchards, learn about apple cultivation, and appreciate the beauty of these traditional landscapes. Apple-Related Crafts and Activities: Workshops and craft fairs may be organized, where participants can engage in activities like apple pressing to make fresh juice, cooking demonstrations, and creating apple-themed arts and crafts.
Local Produce Markets: Farmers' markets and local food producers often participate, offering a range of apple products such as cider, apple pies, jams, and chutneys.
Community Gatherings: National Apple Day provides an opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate the harvest season. It's a time for sharing stories, recipes, and knowledge about apples and orchards.
Orchard Conservation and Planting: Some organizations and communities use the occasion to raise awareness about the importance of conserving traditional orchards and even planting new ones to safeguard the future of apple cultivation.
HISTORY BEHIND NATIONAL APPLE DAY
National Apple Day was created Sue Clifford and Angela King as part of the charity Common Ground in the United Kingdom. Common Ground is a nonprofit organization founded by Sue Clifford and Angela King in 1983. The organization is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the cultural and environmental importance of the local landscape and its associated traditions. The organization also aims to reconnect people with the land and its fruits, emphasizing the significance of locally grown produce and traditional orchards.
In 1990, the charity Common Ground in the UK as a way to raise awareness about the diversity of apple varieties, encourage the preservation of traditional orchards, and promote the consumption of locally grown apples. Common Ground's founders, Sue Clifford and Angela King, wanted to reconnect people with the land and its fruits, emphasizing the importance of local and sustainable food production.
National Apple Day was established with the goal of celebrating apples, orchards, and apple-related products while also raising awareness about the diversity of apple varieties and the importance of preserving traditional orchards.
Since its inception, National Apple Day has grown in popularity and has become an annual event celebrated on October 21st each year in the UK. It provides an opportunity for communities, organizations, and individuals to come together to appreciate apples and orchards, share knowledge, and support local and sustainable food production. The day also serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving orchards and traditional apple varieties, supporting local agriculture, and enjoying the delicious and versatile fruit that is the apple.
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Notable Birthdays for October 21
Eugene Burton Ely (1886-1911) - Aviator to fly the first shipboard aircraft to takeoff and land on a ship.
Edna Purviance (1895-1958) - Silent film actress and leading lady in most of Charlie Chaplin's films.
Edmond Hamilton (1904-1977) - Science fiction author of City at World's End and The Star Kings.
Lillian Asplund (1906-2006) - The last American Titanic survivor at the time of her death.
Mary Blair (1911-1978) - One of the female animators that worked for Disney.
Martin Gardner (1914-2010) - Mathematician and author for the Scientific American as a math and puzzles columnist.
Owen Bradley (1915-1998) - Country music record producer in Nashville who helped shape country music and rockabilly music in the 1950s and 60s.
Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993) - Acclaimed trumpet player and bandleader.
Judy Sheindlin (1942-Still Living) - Judge and television host of Judge Judy.
Lee Loughnane (1946-Still Living) - Founding member of the rock band Chicago.
Ronald McNair (1950-1986) - Physicist and astronaut who died on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
Charlotte Caffey (1953-Still Living) - Musician and member of the band the Go-Go's.
Keith Green (1953-1982) - Musician and pioneer of the Christian music genre.
Carrie Fisher (1956-2016) - Actress known as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars saga.
Steve Lukather (1957-Still Living) - Founding member of the rock band Toto.
Jeremy Miller (1976-Still Living) - Child actor known for his character Ben Seaver on Growing Pains.
Will Estes (1978-Still Living) - Actor known as Jameson on Blue Bloods.
Memorable Events for October 21
1774 - The first flag to include the word "Liberty" is flown in Massachusetts.
1867 - The Medicine Lodge Treaty is signed Great Plains Indian leaders, relocating the tribes to a reservation in Indian Territory.
1869 - The first shipment of fresh oysters is delivered from Baltimore.
1871 - The first amateur outdoor athletic games begin in NY.
1879 - Thomas Edison applies for a patent for an incandescent light bulb.
1915 - The first radiotelephone message overseas is made from Arlington, VA to Paris, France.
1917 - The first U.S. troops see action on the front lines in WWI.
1921 - President Harding delivers the first speech by a sitting U.S. president in opposition of lynching in the South.
1940 - Ernest Hemingway's first novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, is published.
1944 - American forces take the city of Aachen, Germany, after three weeks.
1959 - The Guggenheim Museum opens to the public in NY.
1959 - President Eisenhower approves the transfer of all US Army space-related activities to NASA.
1964 - My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, premieres in NY.
1975 - Women are allowed to enroll in the Coast Guard Academy for the first time.
1989 - Bertram Lee and Peter Bynoe become the first major sports team owners after they purchase the Denver Nuggets for $65 million.
2019 - Facebook takes down disinformation campaigns from Iran and Russia.
An Apple a day keeps Bill Gates away!................
Matter of fact, the Apple Capital of Georgia --City of Ellijay--is even now just returning to a calm, quiet day-to-day pattern
after being flooded with out-of-town visitors, fall-goers and shoppers for the annual Apple Harvest Festival.
Even still after 3-days of bumper-to-bumper traffic and no parking spaces open...the farm markets are still jam (pun intended) packed with over 10-different varieties of the
most Iconic fruit of these here United States of America.
Originally apples were grown for alcoholic cider, not eating!.............
Bkmk
I have six Ashmead’s Kernels packed for lunch.
THE Best Apple. Ever.
My best friends make great hard cider each year. Going over to the orchard today!
If you’ve got a good cider press, time, and muscles - making cider is the
easiest thing in the world. Stack up those gallon jugs in garage!
It is well worth the effort.
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