April Fools

April is here, and finally we have a holiday we can all enjoy. Oh, I know, we all love Presidents’ Day in February with its riotous fun. Many of us love going to Target the day after Valentine’s Day and buying half-priced chocolate hearts. Who doesn’t like March 9 when Daylight Savings returns (maybe forever if Congress decrees it so)? But I say there is no day on the calendar as joyous as April Fools’ Day.

I’ve always enjoyed pranks. Once I stole a friend’s underwear from his gym locker, wrapped it up in gift wrap, and then presented it to him for his birthday at the bagel shop where all the swimmers had breakfast after our workout. But that was not on April 1. I can’t recall any great prank I pulled on that date, but I do remember an April 1 when an unmarried daughter called to tell my wife and me that she was pregnant. It took us a while to recover from that one. 

Where and when did April Fools’ start anyhow? If you don’t want to read any more, I can tell you now that nobody really knows for sure. That is not due to a lack of explanations.

When the origin of April Fools’ Day comes up, there is a lot of speculation that it began with the Roman Saturnalia, but that takes place in December. There was a lesser-known Roman special day called Hilaria (it means “cheerful one”), and that was timed to the spring equinox usually around March 25. That is close, but it’s not April 1. 

The French have an ancient tradition of “poisson d’avril” or April Fish. The ultimate trick is to paste a fish (a paper fish one hopes) on a person who gets fooled. At least this is April.

Some relate the origin to the Edict of Roussillon (August 1564) in which Charles IX of France officially changed New Year’s Day from Easter to January 1. Easter was celebrated on a Lunar calendar, and it changed from year to year, sometimes landing on April 1. Those who continued to celebrate the new year on Easter were looked upon as April Fools. But three years earlier, a poem by the Flemish Eduard de Dene describes a nobleman making a fool of a servant on April 1 by sending him on crazy errands.

Probably the best explanation of April Fools’ Day’s origin was published in Poor Robin’s Almanac, an English publication in 1760. The poem goes:

The first of April some do say

Is set apart for all Fool’s Day.

But why the people call it so

Nor I nor they themselves do know.

I can imagine that you might neglect to observe April Fools’ Day. After all, this year it falls on a Tuesday. Nothing, aside from election days and tacos, takes place on Tuesdays. What to do? I say, do not despair. Consult the National Day Calendar. Really, there is such a thing. Google it. There are plenty of special days to observe in April (besides Easter and Passover, of course).

I’ll give you a sample if you are too occupied with less important tasks to look yourself. April 2 is National Ferret Day. If ferrets are not your thing, it is also Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Those of you who are health conscious might observe April 4, National Vitamin C Day. One nostalgic day, for me at least, is April 5, National Read a Road Map Day. I will certainly take out a yellowed map of Texas and trace a route from Houston to Junction just to be observant. 

I don’t want to burden you with all the notable days in April, but I have to. April 7 is National Beer Day followed the next day by National Empanada Day. Soon after, on April 9 is Unicorn Day, then April 11 Eight Track Tape Day. You will not want to miss April 12 Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day or April 15 Rubber Eraser Day. If you no longer work at home, then April 16 is Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day. If you still work at home, you can skip that one. April 17 is National Banana Day to be followed April 19 by National Garlic Day, April 20 Lima Bean Respect Day, and April 22 Jellybean Day. The month finishes up with April 23 Talk Like Shakespeare Day, April 25 Hug a Plumber Day, and April 29 National Zipper Day.

I don’t know about you, but I will limit my celebrations to April Fools’ Day. Actually, I can’t wait until April 1. This year, I am going to call my unmarried daughter and tell her I won the Mega Millions or maybe that I bought a pet ferret.