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April Fool's Day - April 1, 2008 |
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 Some
interesting facts about April Fool's. In
sixteenth-century France, the start of the new
year was observed on April first. It was
celebrated in much the same way as it is today
with parties and dancing into the late hours of
the night. Then in 1562, Pope Gregory introduced
a new calendar for the Christian world, and the
new year fell on January first. There were some
people, however, who hadn't heard or didn't
believe the change in the date, so they
continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April
first. Others played tricks on them and called
them "April fools." They sent them on a "fool's
errand" or tried to make them believe that
something false was true. In France today, April
first is called "Poisson d'Avril." French
children fool their friends by taping a paper
fish to their friends' backs. When the "young
fool" discovers this trick, the prankster yells
"Poisson d'Avril!" (April Fish!)
Today Americans play small tricks on friends and
strangers alike on the first of April. One
common trick on April Fool's Day, or All Fool's
Day, is pointing down to a friend's shoe and
saying, "Your shoelace is untied." Teachers in
the nineteenth century used to say to pupils,
"Look! A flock of geese!" and point up. School
children might tell a classmate that school has
been cancelled. Whatever the trick, if the
innocent victim falls for the joke the prankster
yells, "April Fool! "
The "fools' errands" we play on people are
practical jokes. Putting salt in the sugar bowl
for the next person is not a nice trick to play
on a stranger. College students set their clocks
an hour behind, so their roommates show up to
the wrong class - or not at all. Some practical
jokes are kept up the whole day before the
victim realizes what day it is. Most April Fool
jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm
anyone. The most clever April Fool joke is the
one where everyone laughs, especially the person
upon whom the joke is played. |
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above information is from sources believed
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for the accuracy of this information.
©2008 Residential Income Fund L.P. |
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