Wednesday 11 March 2009

Johnny Appleseed Day

Today (March 11th) is considered Johnny Appleseed Day, although it is sometimes said to be in September. All I know about Johnny Appleseed is the song and actually until I looked it up I couldn't really even remember the song just the end "Johnny-Appleseed---Almen." Johnny Appleseed is an American legend born John Chapman on Sept. 26, 1774. He spent most of his life along the Ohio River on horseback, in canoe, or on foot. The popular image of Johnny Appleseed is him spreading apple seeds randomly, everywhere he went. In fact, he planted nurseries rather than orchards, built fences around them to protect them from livestock, left the nurseries in the care of a neighbor who sold trees on shares, and returned every year or two to tend the nursery. He was also a missionary for the Church of the New Jerusalem, or Swedenborgian Church. It is based on the theological doctrines contained in the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, who I have never heard of or know anything about. It turns out the song I know is actually a Swedenborgian Hymn. Here it is for those who have forgotten or never knew it: "Oh, the Lord is good to me and so I'll thank the Lord, for giving me the things I need, the sun, and the rain, and the appleseed. Oh, the Lord is good to me. Johnny Appleseed, Amen."

2 comments:

Unknown said...

see that is what I was trying to sing to you earlier...duh duh duh duh duh duh ....can't you hear it ;)

Unknown said...

How could I ever forget that song?

Almen. haha.