Most people have heard the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” although most people don’t know where that adage originated or when it entered the popular vernacular. That’s okay because all people need to know is that National Eat A Red Apple Day is a holiday observed on December 1st.

Like the adage about eating a daily apple, this holiday’s entire purpose is to encourage people to add more apples (specifically red apples) to their diet. And why wouldn’t they? After all, each apple contains 2.4 grams of fiber, 6% of a person’s RDA for potassium, and has fewer than 100 calories. That makes it perfect for eating as a snack, either on this day or on any other day of the year.

Interesting Facts About Apples

If you’re like most people, you think that you know everything there is to know about apples. Most people are familiar with apples and have been eating them for quite a long time.

However, what if I told you that there are probably at least a couple of things that you didn’t know about apples? I bet you’d be intrigued, wouldn’t you? That’s why we’ve decided to do a bushel of apple research and list what we found in the following fun factoids.

• Red Delicious is only one type of apple variety available. There are over 2,500 other varieties grown in the United States as well.
• Honeycrisp and Red Delicious apples are red on the outside but white on the inside.
• Kissabel and Pink Pearl apples have flesh that can be pink, orange, or even bright red.
• The Red Delicious apple was first discovered in Iowa. It grew from a runaway seed that was in the wrong place.
• The only apples native to the United States are crabapples.
• It took three decades for the Honeycrisp apple to be developed by researchers from the University of Minnesota.
• The largest apple ever grown was the Japanese Hokuto apple. This apple weighed over 4 pounds.
• Peruvian apples are the fruit of the Peruvian Apple Cactus.
• A small apple tree can produce fruit in about 5 years.
• A large apple tree can produce fruit in about 10 years.
• The top apple producers in the world are the U.S., China, Poland, Turkey, and Italy.
• Apples are a great source of fiber.
• It takes the energy from 50 leaves to grow one apple.
• Apple trees can be grown further north than other types of fruit trees because they bloom in late spring, reducing the possibility of frost damage.

Observing National Eat A Red Apple Day

National Eat A Red Apple Day can be observed simply by eating a red apple. That’s all there is to it. Just grab at least one apple and enjoy it. If you’d rather not eat a red apple raw, you can always incorporate it into your diet in some way.

You can make fried apples, sautéed apples, apple pie, or apple crisps. You can even make apple butter or apple pancakes—if you’re so inclined. While you’re enjoying your apple (or apples), be sure to use the hashtag #NationalEatARedAppleDay to spread the word about this holiday on the internet.