April's Fool

April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day occurs annually on April

1. The day is generally observed by playing a practical joke
on a "victim" who soon becomes known as an April Fool. This custom is thought to have started in France during the
16th century but the British are credited with bringing it to the United States.

The commonly accepted origin of April Fool's Day involves changes in the calendar. At one time, the New Year
celebration began on March 25 and ended on April 1. However, in 1582, King Charles IX adopted the Gregorian
calendar and accepted the beginning of the new year as January 1. Those who refused to acknowledge the new date
or simply forgot received foolish gifts and invitations to nonexistent parties. The butt of such a prank was known as a
"poisson d'avril" or "April fish."


"The first of April
is the day we remember
what we are the other 364 days of the year."
~By Mark Twain~


"The first of April, some do say,
Is set apart for All Fools' Day.
But why the people call it so,
Nor I, nor they themselves do know.
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merriment."
~Poor Robin's Almanac (1790)~

This verse is recorded in Poor Robin's Almanack in 1760 and echoes the general feeling about April Fools' Day before
and since.

A popular day, but really only half-day, for traditionally, jokes have to be played before noon, after which the victim was
entitled to turn the tables by shouting,

April Fool's gone past,
And you're the biggest fool at last.


Some well known fools' errands years ago, included sending an unsuspecting child to a shop for some elbow grease
and also to farm houses to ask for pigeon's milk, both items not true items.

The media also join in on the fun, and on this day, it is fun to watch out for unusual articles that cannot possibly be true.
I shall always remember the news article about spaghetti growing on trees!


All Fools' Day as it was called years ago was, is observed in many countries around the world.

England

In the Lake District, an April Fool is a - 'April noddy'.

April noddy's past and gone,
You're the fool an' I'm none.


In Cornwall, an April Fool is a 'guckaw' or 'gowk', another word for cuckoo (a bird). If a child succeeded in 'taking in'
another, he used to shout after him ~ "Fool, fool, the guckaw." On the other hand if the person resisited the trick, he
would say ~ "The gowk and the titlene sit on a tree, You're a gowk as weel as me." Titlene refers to a hedge sparrow
(a bird).

In Cheshire, an April Fool is a 'April gawby' or 'gobby or gob'.

In Christow in Devon, pranks had to be played in the afternoon. The day there was known as ‘Tail-pipe Day', because it
was a custom to pin an inscription ‘Please kick me' to the coat-tails of an unsupecting victim.

Scotland

The day is known ‘Gowkie Day' or ‘Hunt the Gowk'.

In the Orkney Isles, the pranks are transferred to 2nd April, which is known as ‘Tailing Day'.

France

An April Fool is called a 'fish' - 'poisson d'Avril' - and it is the custom to send friends a dainty present made up in the
form of a small fish.



A FOOL'S DICTIONARY

April Fool: A person successfully tricked on 1st April.

Fool: A person who acts unwisely or imprudently, a stupid person, a jester/clown. One who acts in a joking/teasing
way.

Fool's Cap: A cap with bells attached worn by jesters.

Act the Fool: Behave in a silly way.

Fool's Errand: A fruitless venture.

Fool's Gold: Iron pyrites, often mistaken for gold.

Fool's Paradise: Happiness founded on a illusion.

Fool's Parsley: A species of hemlock resembling parsley.

Playing the Fool: To act like the idiot or foolishly.

Tomfoolery: Foolish behaviour, nonsence.

Trompe-l'oeil: A still-life painting, designed to give a illusion of reality. Literally 'deceives the eye'.

Foolery: Foolish behaviour/a foolish act.

Foolhardy: Rashly or foolishly bold, reckless.



APRIL FOOL POEM

Small April sobbed I'm going to cry
Please give me a cloud to wipe my eye
Then April Fool she laughed instead
And smiled a rainbow overhead.


APRIL FOOL SMILE :-))

Q: Why are people so tired on April 1st?
A: Because they just finished a 31-day March :-)


APRIL FOOL WEATHER WATCH

If it thunders on All Fool's Day,
expect good crops of corn and hay.


NOW REMEMBER...

"April 1st can be filled with 'giggles and smiles',
it is okay to have fun...
but don't do things to "hurt" other people.
Treat others as you would want them to treat you.
...now go and have a bit of harmless fun." :-)


APRIL FOOL FUN IDEAS..

Colour The Milk
Choose a bright colour of food coloring to add to the milk. Buy it in a cardboard container so nobody can see inside.
Make sure you are around when they pour it on their cereal. *smile*

Mealtime idea
Serve lunch or dinner in reverse order, the dessert first, then the main dish, and lastly the starter/appetizer.
And serve some of the food items in different dishes to confuse them further :-)

Office/Computer fun
Use a small post-it note and place it under someones's computer mouse (covering the ball on the bottom). When they
go to use the mouse, it won't do anything! Remember to write "April Fool!" on the bottom.


Now here is a idea...
Instead of playing a trick on someone,
do something nice instead!
- a good idea I think :-)

Have fun everyone.