About ten days ago I discovered the fact that I have been missing Polka Dot Day, back on 22 January. So, one month later, here's Polka Bob the Tomato, of Veggie Tales® fame. I am also sporting my polka dot socks. On this date (2/22) in 2022 I had great fun celebrating "Twosday," wearing a pair of ties at once.
Polka Bob the Tomato is here to help celebrate the anniversary of the 1893 decision by the United States Supreme Court that declared the tomato to be a vegetable, not a fruit. The issue was about money -- how tariffs would be collected for transporting tomatoes.
Tomorrow (16 June) is the birthday of Veggie Tales® co-creator Phil Vischer (1966). He was the voice of Bob the Tomato, so maybe you can hear him talking and singing all over this Polka Bob tie! You can see images of more than 40 characters played by Bob at his page in the Veggiepedia Wiki.
Polka-Bob the Tomato is here to celebrate the historic Supreme Court decision (known as Nix v. Hedden) in 1893, declaring that the tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit. The distinction was important for customs declarations and import taxes. Justice Horace Gray, delivering the unanimous decision, wrote: “Botanically speaking, tomatoes are the fruit of a vine, just as are cucumbers, squashes, beans, and peas. But in the common language of the people, whether sellers or consumers of provisions, all these are vegetables which are grown in kitchen gardens, and which, whether eaten cooked or raw, are, like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, and lettuce, usually served at dinner in, with, or after the soup, fish, or meats which constitute the principal part of the repast, and not, like fruits generally, as dessert.” Thus, the Court concluded, a tomato was a vegetable. (I'm quoting from the kentlaw.iit.edu Web site.)
