Vintage Friday: Why April Fool?

Marx Brothers 1931
By Ralph F. Stitt [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Do you anticipate April 1st each year and look forward to creating the perfect prank? Not being a practical jokester, today is not my kind of holiday. That is not to say I haven’t pulled some jokes over the years. Families tend to do that. The meanest one was years ago as a child when I told my mother that my brother, her son, was in the other room. Since he was overseas in the Navy at the time, at first she was overjoyed about his impromptu leave. Then dismay and disappointment set in when I chanted the ludicrous words, “April Fool.” I felt so crappy for hurting her. Right there on the spot I was cured of April Fool pranks of the “mean” nature. Still, I tried many times in later years to get a joke over on my husband. Nothing doing. He was always one step ahead of me. My son too—always alert to Mom’s shenanigans. They both pulled some doozies on me though. See, by the first coffee break of mid-morning I tend to get amnesia and forget it’s April Fool’s Day. Can you say pigeon? Easy mark? Sitting duck?

Wouldn’t you love to know what zany mind came up with the holiday in the first place? I would. No one really knows, however. There’s talk that it started in the 18th century, but it really didn’t because it’s attested to at least the 16th century. There’s talk of it being related to a calendar change by the French King Charles IX. There’s talk of it being the result of the drastic reform of the Gregorian Calendar and Pope Gregory’s strong recommendation for the new year to start with January rather than Easter (he also created leap year—wheeee what fun). Those who stuck to the old ways tended to be called fools. For two hundred years Europe kept two calendars. No wonder people got confused. There’s talk of the holiday being because of the change to the Julian calendar in Roman times or the raucous festival of Hilaria. Whatever. If you love cultural history as much as I do, it’s a fascinating subject and one well worth reading about. I have added some calendar related links.

If you intend to pull an April Fool’s joke on me, however, please make your shot before 10am. This vintage sitting duck will appreciate that.

Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Romance

By Flossie Benton Rogers

Paranormal romance author who loves to shake the edges of reality.

6 comments

  1. A fun post, Flossie. I kind of forgot it was April Fools until the day was half over. We had some silliness at work, but nothing that got out of hand. Just a reminder, that even when we’re crazy busy it’s fun to stop and laugh.

    Reply

    1. Some of the professional pranksters like the ones who run prank radio stations are really distasteful. I don’t see how they’re not shot yet just from people being scared to death.

      Reply

  3. Oh, how interesting, I didn’t know the origin of this day. Yes, as a kid I had my share of doing to others or being on the recipient end of pranks. Nothing nasty, anyway. .Not any more.
    Thanks for reminding about it!

    Reply

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