An Idaho Fall Tradition Has Foreign Origins

Thank a Russian for an American tradition.  If you believed cider and donuts originated in colonial days, and then moved westward, not so fast.  Cider was a common drink in colonial times because apples were everywhere.  It was a source of America’s most common alcoholic beverage (and may have led to the invention of TP for all you know!)  The donut came later, even though fried dough was common for centuries before our country’s founding.

Cider and Donuts Has a Recent and Round About Start

The website Mental Floss has the story.  A Russian immigrant popularized the donut shape, but cider’s involvement came along in the years following World War Two, when many started questioning the donut’s lack of health benefits.

As for the cider, I saw the season’s first on store shelves over the weekend, and carted home three gallons!  I skipped the donuts out of respect for my doctors, albeit.  I’ll probably have at least one before Halloween or Thanksgiving at the latest.

I'm from the First Generation of a Common Tradition

My first memory of cider and donuts (cinnamon) is from when I was a little boy in the 1960s.  It didn’t take long to become an autumn tradition.  The smell of both still conjures memories of parties in neighbors’ barns.

America sometimes appears to be coming apart at the seams.  The traditions can help bind us together, and we need to share them with future generations.  You can also enjoy the smiles of the children as they take that first bite, then a gulp of cider.