April Foolin

This is for Kim...

Though not a true holiday, April Fool's Day is celebrated the world over. Kids pull pranks on their parents, co-workers play jokes on each other, wives dupe their husbands, all in the name of April 1. But why? Where does this strange holiday come from?

Truth is - no one really knows. But there are plenty of theories. The most accepted theory has something to do with calendars - much like my explanation of the Ides of March last month. Not too exciting, but apparently, way back in the 17th century, folks used to celebrate the New Year between March 25th and April 1st until the Christians came along and decided to change the calendar so that holidays coincided with important biblical dates. The new year then became January 1st as we know it, which is said to be the date of Jesus' circumcision. This might explain the heavy drinking...

As you may expect, there were some who didn't agree to follow the new calendar right away. Can you imagine if, in his next address to the nation, Barack said, "I've decided that Valentine's Day is too close to Christmas, so for now on, please celebrate your love on April 14th." Ok, maybe that isn't the BEST example since many argue that February 14th is nothing but a holiday spawned by the greeting card industry, but you catch my drift.

So yes, some people didn't stop celebrating the new year around the first of April and they were thus ridiculed and called April Fools. And some think that was how it all began..

Other theories of the origin of April Fools Day (and here I have to pause for a moment - is it April Fool's Day, April Fools' Day or April Fools day, because I have seen it all three ways) include, again going centuries back, that May 1st was celebrated as the first day of summer and when spring planting began so that anyone who planted early was an April Fool and that Noah sent the raven out too early (before the waters had receded) on the first day of the month of the Hebrew calendar that corresponds with April, thus making him an April fool.

Whatever the origin, April Fools/Fool's/Fools' Day is the perfect occasion to magnify the gullibility of those you love. Go forth and prank.