April Fool's Day - Our Holiday Site
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)
The truth, as in any good mystery, lies hidden in the shadows of time.
AprilFools.com has some intriguing suggestions. Sources Include: The American Book of Days by Jane M. Hatch; The World. And Holiday Book by Anneli Rufus; the Encyclopedia Americana.
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April Fools Day History
"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 of the year." - Mark Twain
How do you think April Fools' Day originated? Did some joker in biblical times decide to switch the frankincense and the myrrh? Was there a historic epidemic of spring fever-tomfoolery in a tiny Finnish town in the early 1800s? Did a New Yorker in 1910 find a cockroach in his coffee cup and decide to recreate the experience for his officemate, thereby sparking a famous April 1 lawsuit? In a convincing testimonial to the saying that truth is stranger than fiction, we'll tell you the story, or at least present the most viable theory, of how April Fools' Day came to be.
banana peel) in England in the 18th century, and was brought to colonial America by the English, Scottish, and French. No fooling.April Fools: One who is tricked by others into believing or doing something on the first day of April.
April Fool Term Meanings
February 2 1908 ~ January 21 1909 - Earth Monkey
February 20 1920 ~ February 7 1921 - Metal Monkey
February 6 1932 ~ January 25 1933 - Water Monkey
January 25 1944 ~ February 12 1945 - Wood Monkey
February 12 1956 ~ January 30 1957 - Fire Monkey
January 30 l968 ~ February 16 1969 - Earth Monkey
February 16 1980 ~ February 4 1981 - Metal Monkey
February 4 1992 ~ January 22 1993 - Water Monkey The Quick-Witted Monkey The Trickster or Fools of The Chinese Zodiac The Monkey is born under the sign of fantasy. He is imaginative, inquisitive and loves to keep an eye on everything that is going on around him. He is never backward in offering advice or trying to sort out the problems of others. He likes to be helpful and his advice is invariably sensible and reliable. The Monkey is intelligent, well-read and always eager to learn. He has an extremely good memory and there are many Monkeys who have made particularly good linguists. The Monkey is also a convincing talker and enjoys taking part in discussions and debates. His friendly, self-assured manner can be very persuasive and he usually has little trouble in winning people round to his way of thinking. It is for this reason that the Monkey often excels in politics and public speaking. He is also particularly adept in PR work, teaching and any job which-involves selling. The Monkey can, however, be crafty, cunning and occasionally dishonest and he will seize on any opportunity to make a quick gain or outsmart his opponents. He has so much charm and guile that people often don't realize what he is up to until it is too late. But despite his resourceful nature, the Monkey does run the risk of outsmarting even himself. He has so much confidence in his abilities that he rarely listens to advice or is prepared to accept help from anyone. The Monkey likes to help others but prefers to rely on his own judgement when dealing with his own affairs. Another characteristic of the Monkey is that he is extremely good at solving problems and has a happy knack of extricating himself (and others) from the most hopeless of positions. He is the master of self-preservation. With so many diverse talents the Monkey is able to make considerable sums of money, but he does like to enjoy life and will think nothing of spending his money on some exotic holiday or luxury which he has had his eye on. He can, however, become very envious if someone else has got what he wants. The Monkey is an original thinker and, despite his love of company, he cherishes his independence. He has to have the freedom to act as he wants and any Monkey who feels hemmed in or bound by too many restrictions can soon become unhappy. Likewise, if anything becomes too boring or monotonous, he soon loses interest and turns his attention to something else. The Monkey lacks persistence and this can often hamper his progress. He is also easily distracted, a tendency which all Monkeys should try to overcome. The Monkey should concentrate on one thing at a time and by doing so will almost certainly achieve more in the long run. The Monkey is a good organizer and, even though he may behave slightly erratically at times, he will invariably have some plan at the back of his mind. On the odd occasion when his plans do not quite work out, he is usually happy to shrug his shoulders and put it down to experience. He will rarely make the same mistake twice and throughout his life he will try his hand at many things.
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April Fool's Day
April 1. April Fool's Day and New Year's Day are linked together in history. Discover why the first day of April is devoted to practical jokes and humor. With April fool's day history traditions and foolishness. We are devoted to practical jokes and humor at Our Holiday Site
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." Albert Einstein
APRIL FOOLS FUN
April Fools Jokes To Pull On Programmers!
The Top 16 April Fool's Day Pranks to Pull on Programmers16. Using their e-mail address, post a request for penpals to the alt.prison.bodypiercing newsgroup.
15. Three words: electric mouse buzzer.
13. "Look, Bill Gates!! Ha! Made ya look!"
12. Put them in the same room with a member of the opposite sex.
11. "Have you got Prince Albert in a LAN?"
10. Tell them that "everyone knows Star Trek transporter technology is bogus."
9. 10 GOTO 10
8. Swap their monitor for a large cardboard box with handpuppets. Watch the fur fly!
7. Announce that annual raises will be based on a subjective test of one's ability to "schmooz the way the butt-kissers in Marketing do."
6. Intercept their daily Top 5 List, then remove #8 and re-insert it between #5 and #6.
5. Pretend to "discover" a Fox TV website with a now-out-of-date "Win a Weekend with Gillian Anderson of X-Files" contest.
4. Every hour, on the hour, forward them a warning about the "Good Times" virus.
3. Call her up and ask if her program is running, and when she says "yes," tell her "Well you better go catch it!"
2. Replace all the Jolt in the soda machine with Perrier and V8.
And the Number 1 April Fool's Day Prank to Pull on Programmers...
1. Special announcement: "Forget Java -- Starting immediately, all coding will be done in COBOL."
April Fool's Day History Traditions And Foolishness
By Myriam MaytorenaUnlike most of the other nonfoolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.
The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1564, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning just after the first day of spring. The celebration typically ended on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.
However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.
This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.
In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.
Mexico's counterpart of April Fool's Day is actually observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.
Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"
Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees.
April Fools Making Fun
April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance! Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!
You Know What They Say About Fools
- But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. -- 1 Cor 1:27
- However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him. -- Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
- [Politicians] never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge. -- Thomas Reed
- He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks. -- François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
- The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer
- Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom. -- Elizabeth Gaskell
- Looking foolish does the spirit good. -- John Updike
- Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed. -- Mark Twain
- A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees. -- William Blake
- A fool must now and then be right by chance. -- Cowper
- It is better to be a fool than to be dead. -- Stevenson
April Fools Day: An Unsolved History
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)
OK, who started it? Did the first Fools come from France, England, Mexico, Sweden or India?
The truth, as in any good mystery, lies hidden in the shadows of time.
Some say that April Fools Day began in many parts of the world at the same time, in celebration of the spring equinox. Pranks were a big part of even the most boring equinox parties, everywhere from Sweden to India.
Others argue that the modern April Fool's Day followed the adoption of a reformed calendar in France circa 1564.
In medieval times, the octave of New Year's began on March 25 with the eight days of festivities ending on April 1.
With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, New Year's Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. Due to the slowness of "sandal-net" communication back then and general resistance to change.
The January 1 date was not fully accepted for several years. Those traditionalists who clung to April 1 as New Year's Day were scoffed at as "fools" and sent fake party invitations and prank gifts.Widespread observance in England began in the 18th century. The English, Scotch and French introduced the custom to their colonies in America. One of our forefathers' favorite jokes was to send someone on a "fool's errand." For example, one might have been asked to go out and obtain a copy of "The History of Adam's Grandfather," or bring back some "sweet vinegar."
In Scotland, April Fools Day is 48 hours long. The second day is called Taily Day and is dedicated to pranks involving the buttocks. Taily Day's gift to posterior posterity is the still-hilarious "Kick Me" sign.
The "foolish" tradition is celebrated in Mexico, too, but on a different day and for different reasons. "El Dia de los Inocentes," which is December 28, was set aside as a day for Christians to mourn Herod's slaughter of innocent children. Over time, the tone of that "unluckiest of days" has evolved from sadness to good-natured trickery.
Even the media join the fun, often running bogus news stories and radio reports.
We may never learn the true origin of April Fools Day. However, the deeper question facing us today is, "What's the best gag I can pull off?"
AprilFools.com has some intriguing suggestions. Sources Include: The American Book of Days by Jane M. Hatch; The World. And Holiday Book by Anneli Rufus; the Encyclopedia Americana.
April Fools is also celebrated in some Latin American countries, such as Peru and Colombia. It is celebrated on December 28, hence its name is not April Fools". It is called "Dia de los Inocentes" which in English it would be "The Candids' Day". The pranks are the same. Have a happy April 1 first.
Subject: History of APRIL Fools day! ..Hmmmm
"Kevin McCarthy" <leader@thepentagon.com>
Date: 1997/04/01
Message-Id: <MOD$970401.8442@sintercom.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.singapore.moderated
"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 of the year." - Mark Twain
How do you think April Fools' Day originated? Did some joker in biblical times decide to switch the frankincense and the myrrh? Was there a historic epidemic of spring fever-tomfoolery in a tiny Finnish town in the early 1800s? Did a New Yorker in 1910 find a cockroach in his coffee cup and decide to recreate the experience for his officemate, thereby sparking a famous April 1 lawsuit? In a convincing testimonial to the saying that truth is stranger than fiction, we'll tell you the story, or at least present the most viable theory, of how April Fools' Day came to be.
Once upon a time, back in 16th-century France, before computers, people celebrated New Year's Day on March 25, the advent of spring. It was a festive time. They partied steadily until April 1. In 1564, when the calendar reformed and became Gregorian, King Charles IX proclaimed, perhaps pompously, that New Year's Day should be celebrated on January 1 instead of in the spring. Diehard conservatives resisted the change (or perhaps didn't hear about it due to the absence of e-mail) and continued to celebrate New Year's from March 25 to April 1. During this period of spring festivity, the more flexible French mocked the rigid revelers by sending them foolish gifts and invitations to non-existent parties. The victim of an April Fools' Day prank was called a "poisson d'avril," or an "April fish," because at that time of year, the sun was leaving the zodiacal sign of Pisces. April Fools' Day hit its stride (avoiding the
banana peel) in England in the 18th century, and was brought to colonial America by the English, Scottish, and French. No fooling.
If it thunders on All Fool's Day, expect good crops of corn and hay.
Fool: One who is regarded as deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding. One who acts unwisely on a given occasion.
Aril Fool: One who has been tricked or made to appear ridiculous; adupe. Or one who has been dupped.
Informal: A person with a talent or an enthusiasm for a certain activity such as a dancing fool; a fool for skiing. A member of a royal or noble household who provided entertainment, as with jokes or antics; a jester. A dessert made of stewed or puréed fruit mixed with cream or custard and served cold.
Archaic: A mentally deficient person; an idiot.
Fool's Cap: A cap with bells attached worn by jesters.
Fool's Errand: A silly, profitless task.
Fool's Gold: Gold colored iron or copper pyrites, often mistaken for gold.
Fool's Paradise: A make-believe place of vanity and nonsense.
Fool's Parsley: An annual plant that resembles parsley, but nauseous and poisonous.
Playing the Fool: To act like the idiot or foolishly.
Tomfoolery: The act of foolishness or silliness.
Trompe l'oeil: An artistic term meaning "fool the eye". A painting that simulates 3-dimensions or marble is Trompe l'oeil. There are incredible examples in the Vatican.
I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. --1 Sam. xxvi. 21.
The Quick-Witted Monkey The Trickster or Fools of The Chinese Zodiac
February 2 1908 ~ January 21 1909 - Earth Monkey
February 20 1920 ~ February 7 1921 - Metal Monkey
February 6 1932 ~ January 25 1933 - Water Monkey
January 25 1944 ~ February 12 1945 - Wood Monkey
February 12 1956 ~ January 30 1957 - Fire Monkey
January 30 l968 ~ February 16 1969 - Earth Monkey
February 16 1980 ~ February 4 1981 - Metal Monkey
February 4 1992 ~ January 22 1993 - Water Monkey The Quick-Witted Monkey The Trickster or Fools of The Chinese Zodiac The Monkey is born under the sign of fantasy. He is imaginative, inquisitive and loves to keep an eye on everything that is going on around him. He is never backward in offering advice or trying to sort out the problems of others. He likes to be helpful and his advice is invariably sensible and reliable. The Monkey is intelligent, well-read and always eager to learn. He has an extremely good memory and there are many Monkeys who have made particularly good linguists. The Monkey is also a convincing talker and enjoys taking part in discussions and debates. His friendly, self-assured manner can be very persuasive and he usually has little trouble in winning people round to his way of thinking. It is for this reason that the Monkey often excels in politics and public speaking. He is also particularly adept in PR work, teaching and any job which-involves selling. The Monkey can, however, be crafty, cunning and occasionally dishonest and he will seize on any opportunity to make a quick gain or outsmart his opponents. He has so much charm and guile that people often don't realize what he is up to until it is too late. But despite his resourceful nature, the Monkey does run the risk of outsmarting even himself. He has so much confidence in his abilities that he rarely listens to advice or is prepared to accept help from anyone. The Monkey likes to help others but prefers to rely on his own judgement when dealing with his own affairs. Another characteristic of the Monkey is that he is extremely good at solving problems and has a happy knack of extricating himself (and others) from the most hopeless of positions. He is the master of self-preservation. With so many diverse talents the Monkey is able to make considerable sums of money, but he does like to enjoy life and will think nothing of spending his money on some exotic holiday or luxury which he has had his eye on. He can, however, become very envious if someone else has got what he wants. The Monkey is an original thinker and, despite his love of company, he cherishes his independence. He has to have the freedom to act as he wants and any Monkey who feels hemmed in or bound by too many restrictions can soon become unhappy. Likewise, if anything becomes too boring or monotonous, he soon loses interest and turns his attention to something else. The Monkey lacks persistence and this can often hamper his progress. He is also easily distracted, a tendency which all Monkeys should try to overcome. The Monkey should concentrate on one thing at a time and by doing so will almost certainly achieve more in the long run. The Monkey is a good organizer and, even though he may behave slightly erratically at times, he will invariably have some plan at the back of his mind. On the odd occasion when his plans do not quite work out, he is usually happy to shrug his shoulders and put it down to experience. He will rarely make the same mistake twice and throughout his life he will try his hand at many things.
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