Centuries ago apples were a special treat something that was reserved for special occasions. Bobbing for apples, sometimes called Ducking, has its beginnings in the 15th century, but that tradition can also be traced back to practices in the Roman Era. The modern day game involves a tub full of water and apples that people must retrieve ‘bob for’ with their mouths.
Back in the Tudor era the game was played a little differently. Two pieces of wood were nailed together in the shape of a cross. Four apples would be tied to candles on each arm of the cross shape. The goal was the same, to catch the apples in your mouth, with hot wax being the penalty for slowness or inaccuracy. It would take a further 300 years before the hot wax and cross was replaced with a tub of cold water.
Source:
The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren, Peter Opie and Iona Archibald Opie