The red apple emoji has been around for a while, first approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. It signifies so many things, but it is mostly used in posts relating to food and the fall season. In addition to being a symbol for that delightful change of season (apple picking time!), it also represents education and teachers, and is a nod to Manhattan, or New York City, which has the nickname “Big Apple.” That nickname was coined by a sports writer in the 1920s and then picked up and revived by marketing agencies in the 1970s for a promotional campaign … guess it worked.

The origins of the apple as a signifier for things related to school go back to the 1700s, when families in countries like Denmark would pay their teachers with baskets of apples. American families continued the tradition, with an occasional apple-for-the-teacher token until the early- to mid-1900s. It’s especially fitting since the apple long represented wisdom, going back to Greek mythology. And, let’s not forget the role of the apple in the story of Adam and Eve; that first bite set a new course for man/womankind!