International Eat an Apple Day is a holiday that’s observed every third Saturday of September, and its name says it all about how this day is supposed to be observed. This is a day when people are encouraged to eat not just one apple, but if they wish, they can certainly eat a second apple.

The whole point is to get people into the habit of eating apples—a fruit that’s full of phytochemicals, fiber, and vitamin C. They are also delicious and can be used to make various dishes. All good reasons for everyone to pick up an apple on this day.

The History of International Eat an Apple Day

Apples are believed to have originated in Central Asia, where many wild varieties still exist. The apple was cultivated and exported for thousands of years, with even the Greeks and Romans enjoying these fruits.

By the time the Middle Ages arrived in Europe, the apple was already a well-established crop. Apples wouldn’t end up in North America until the early 17th century when apple orchards were first planted throughout the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Apple cultivation became widespread throughout North America during the 19th century, and a number of different varieties were created during this time through selective breeding. When refrigeration was invented in the 20th century, apples were then able to be transported across long distances, allowing more Americans to enjoy the fruit.

Although the United States is a large producer of apples for the world today, it still comes in second to China. Approximately 118,000 tons of apples were exported by China just in December 2021. They end up exporting over a metric ton of apples to countries worldwide.

More than 60% of the apples produced in China are late-season red Fuji apples. Some of the apple varieties exported by the United States include Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious, McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp.

With tons of apples exported all around the world, it’s no wonder that someone decided to invent International Eat an Apple Day. Unfortunately, we just don’t know who that someone is or when they invented it. We’ll continue to research the origins of this holiday, however, and if we uncover anything new, then we’ll update this section to include it.

Observing International Eat an Apple Day

Eating apples and making delicious dishes with apples are two ways to observe this holiday. Although most people know that apples can be used to make applesauce, apple pies, and other delicious desserts, what some people don’t realize is that it also pairs quite nicely with meats such as pork.

No matter how a person enjoys their apples on this day, they should take a few seconds out of their time and let us all know about it using the hashtag #EatAnAppleDay on social media.