By Ginny Morris

When partygoers bob for apples, they are participating in a tradition that spans oceans and goes back for centuries. The earliest instance of apple bobbing is traced back to the ancient Celts, who associated apples with love and fertility. In their celebrations at the end of harvest and the beginning of their new year, Celtic youths would bob for apples to predict their future marriages. Early immigrants brought apple bobbing to colonial America where it became popular in the pioneers' harvest celebrations. Today the apple is considered a healthful autumn crop, and bobbing for apples is a party game.

The supply list for a bobbing for apples game is straightforward:

  • Apples
  • A basin of water

It is also a good idea to include towels and a large sponge or mop, since not all of the water will remain in the basin.

The set-up is easy: simply wash the apples and float them in about five inches of water.

The rules are as simple as the supplies and the set-up - with your hands behind your back, pick a floating apple out of the water using only your mouth or teeth.

Frequently, bobbing for apples is played as a personal challenge and the reward is capturing the apple. But the game can be turned into a contest by either timing it with a stopwatch to see who can get an apple the fastest, or by marking a prize apple in some fashion, such as carving an X or inserting a clove into the bottom of the apple.

Variations and Tips

Bobbing for apples is most commonly a Halloween game, but because of its history it can also be adapted for New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, Harvest Festival, or even a Pioneer theme party. Choose an appropriate basin such as a cauldron, crystal punch bowl, or galvanized washtub that fits the party's motif.

To make bobbing easier for young children, fill the basin's surface with apples to reduce the sideways movement and leave the stems on. Add challenge for adults by having only one apple in the basin at a time, removing the stem, deepening the water, or adding ice.

Observing commonsense sanitation rules will keep bobbing a low health risk, but when spreading colds or flu is a concern, apples can be hung by the stem with string for a dry version of the game. A 3-inch length of bamboo skewer pushed about two inches into the apple makes a good artificial stem if one is needed.