Apple, Owl, Bee and their association with Teachers’ Gift

Have you ever wondered why apples are given to teachers? Why an owl and a bumblebee make a great teacher's gift? We have got all the answers for you, right here!

Story behind the Apple

Although the true origin of the story is unknown, an apple has been a symbol of knowledge and education for thousands of years. 

Greek mythology has a few references to a divine fruit, and the Bible has the famous story of Adam and Eve, where we learn the lessons of right and wrong, with the apple being the fruit of the tree of knowledge. From here, we have known that the apple has been a symbol of knowledge from early history.

Throughout history, gifting of fruit is often associated with hardship. In the 1700s, poor families in Sweden and Denmark gave teachers baskets of apples as payment for their children’s educations.

Historically in the United States, early American children gifted teachers an apple, as it was believed that the families whose children attended schools were often responsible for housing and feeding frontier teachers (Source: Smithsonian Magazine). It is also said that farmers' kids gave struggling teachers apples during the onset of the Great Depression.

There was also a famous song by Bing Crosby & Connie Boswell in 1939 - "An apple for the teacher is always gonna do the trick, if you didn't study your arithmetic."

A time-honoured gift for teachers, the apple is a perfect symbol to thank your teacher for all their hard work at the end of the school year or graduation. 

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As wise as an Owl

“A wise old owl sat on an oak; the more he saw, the less he spoke; the less he spoke, the more he heard. Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?” – Edward H. Richards.

An owl is associated with wisdom and knowledge. Athena, ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, had an owl as her symbol.  

Owls came to represent wisdom because of their large eyes and their ability to hunt at night where humans weren't able to even see in the darkness. Also, their ability to twist their heads around to such a great degree can give the impression that they are "all seeing".

Owls fly silently in the night, observing and taking in every detail of the darkness. The wisest of men and women are frequently silent, keeping their own counsel. Therefore it is considered magical, mysterious and wise by some ancient cultures.

Today, owls are pictured in so many gift ideas! From home and garden, to jewellery, clothing and stationery.

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Hardworking Bees

Bees are associated with hard work and dedication. A honeybee can work anywhere from a few hours a day to about 12 hours depending on its role in the beehive. It doesn’t get distracted from its job and works tirelessly for the greater good of the group. 

There are famous idioms around the bee’s conscientious reputation - work like a bee, as busy as a bee, worker bees, etc.

In recent times, gifting the iconic bee has become a trend, and can be a great present for someone hardworking, team players such as a teacher, or a team mate or a colleague.

It can also be a lovely gift for someone you see working hard - be that your mother, daughter, girlfriend or wife, for a birthday, exam gift, well done gift or graduation gift.

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