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# Carol of the Day: Christ the Apple Tree
- URL: https://bachtalk.ghost.io/carol-of-the-day-christ-the-apple/
- Published: 2022-12-01T15:11:31.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T21:00:03.000Z
- Description: Is cider good for your soul?
- Author: Carlton Monroe
- Tags: #Migrated-1789505908714, #Import 2026-09-15 20:59

How did Jesus get to be an apple tree? I know we love the poem and both the well-known setting by Elizabeth Poston and this newer but equally beautiful version by Stanford Scriven. But from where did the text come?

Most likely it comes from Song of Solomon 2:3 ("As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons"). This passage is so beautiful, and it is amazing to read on to find the verse that follows, one we know well: "I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste."

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The poem most likely originated in England in the 18th century. I don't know if the following is at all true, but in the spirit of a good fable, I love this origin story:

The Apple Wassail is a tradition in the southern English apple orchards during the winter. It was first mentioned in 1585\. It sounds suspiciously like a bunch of young men misbehaving. On Twelfth Night, the troublesome youth would take their wassail into the orchard and "howl" among the trees. Cider was poured over the tree roots in an attempt to bless the trees in hopes of a good harvest. Sound like an excuse for drunkenness and revelry to you? 

It is conceivable the imagery of Christ as an apple tree was an attempt to claim this pagan ritual as a Christian one. If so, I would say it has done well, as the result is a tender, hauntingly beautiful text that has captivated me for years.

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