April fools! No, really....
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: Editorial
April Fool's Day, or All Fool's day has become something of an international practical joke day. But how it got there is a little hard to track down.
One theory is that medieval Europeans celebrated their New Year with the Feast of Annunciation at the end of March, following the vernal equinox. When the pope ordered the new calendar in 1582, those who celebrated the new year in January, poked fun at those who were still celebrating the new year around the beginning of April - either because they didn't know about the change, or they didn't agree with it. They would be sent on "fool's errands" or made to believe things that weren't true. In France, the new calendar was adopted a few years earlier, and the poor soul who was the brunt of the joke was called Poisson d'Avril, or April Fish. They were marked with a dead fish on their back. In later years, the fish was made of paper - a less smelly and more cost-effective alternative. In Scotland, the practical joke recipient is called an April gowk, or April cuckoo - since the cuckoo represents the simpleton.
Another theory is that April marks (more or less) the beginning of spring, when men and women seem to lose their sensibility and frolic around in the hills, neglect their duties and giggle excessively - acting like fools. Or even better, when nature fools poor snow-weary humans with unpredictable weather - sun, snow, rain, sun - when after a long cold winter, we're all ready for sun, sun, sun and sun.
The real answer may be a blend of these two theories. Spring has always been the time for celebration, and spring celebrations can be traced back to the most ancient times. Some celebrations include the Roman Hilaria celebration on the 25th of March, which honored earth-mother Cybele, the Festival of Lud, honoring the Celtic god of humor, the Feast of Lots, the Jewish festival of merry-making and food, and Holi, the Hindu festival of spring, fire and color are only a few.0
However it began, it has come down to us as a day for even the most well-behaved people to play practical jokes on their friends and family members. The jokes range from a mere turn of the phrase to elaborate and expensive schemes. In 1965, the BBC announced the trial run of Smell-O-Vision, and new technology that would allow views to include smell with their visual experience. In 1996, Taco Bell ran a full-page ad in The New York Times announcing they purchased the Liberty Bell and were changing its name to the Taco Liberty Bell. 1998, Burger King ran an ad in USA today announcing the left-handed Whopper. Today, Google.com/romance provides its own April Fool's offering.
After all is said and done, the origin of April Fool's Day is so ambiguous, it might be the biggest joke of all. Do we care? No one seems to mind that they are celebrating a somewhat unofficial holiday with no discernible roots. Maybe we just need an excuse to put aside our inhibitions and act the fool.
One theory is that medieval Europeans celebrated their New Year with the Feast of Annunciation at the end of March, following the vernal equinox. When the pope ordered the new calendar in 1582, those who celebrated the new year in January, poked fun at those who were still celebrating the new year around the beginning of April - either because they didn't know about the change, or they didn't agree with it. They would be sent on "fool's errands" or made to believe things that weren't true. In France, the new calendar was adopted a few years earlier, and the poor soul who was the brunt of the joke was called Poisson d'Avril, or April Fish. They were marked with a dead fish on their back. In later years, the fish was made of paper - a less smelly and more cost-effective alternative. In Scotland, the practical joke recipient is called an April gowk, or April cuckoo - since the cuckoo represents the simpleton.
Another theory is that April marks (more or less) the beginning of spring, when men and women seem to lose their sensibility and frolic around in the hills, neglect their duties and giggle excessively - acting like fools. Or even better, when nature fools poor snow-weary humans with unpredictable weather - sun, snow, rain, sun - when after a long cold winter, we're all ready for sun, sun, sun and sun.
The real answer may be a blend of these two theories. Spring has always been the time for celebration, and spring celebrations can be traced back to the most ancient times. Some celebrations include the Roman Hilaria celebration on the 25th of March, which honored earth-mother Cybele, the Festival of Lud, honoring the Celtic god of humor, the Feast of Lots, the Jewish festival of merry-making and food, and Holi, the Hindu festival of spring, fire and color are only a few.0
However it began, it has come down to us as a day for even the most well-behaved people to play practical jokes on their friends and family members. The jokes range from a mere turn of the phrase to elaborate and expensive schemes. In 1965, the BBC announced the trial run of Smell-O-Vision, and new technology that would allow views to include smell with their visual experience. In 1996, Taco Bell ran a full-page ad in The New York Times announcing they purchased the Liberty Bell and were changing its name to the Taco Liberty Bell. 1998, Burger King ran an ad in USA today announcing the left-handed Whopper. Today, Google.com/romance provides its own April Fool's offering.
After all is said and done, the origin of April Fool's Day is so ambiguous, it might be the biggest joke of all. Do we care? No one seems to mind that they are celebrating a somewhat unofficial holiday with no discernible roots. Maybe we just need an excuse to put aside our inhibitions and act the fool.
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