thedrifter
04-01-06, 10:50 AM
03/31/2006
April Fool's Day -- A Day Devoted To Tomfoolery!
By Ron Pritsch
This Saturday, for some people, is a special day. Yup, you guessed it, it's April Fool's Day.
That means you have three full days to cook up some humorous prank to pull on an acquaintance, neighbor, or family member. That is providing the intended victim has a sense of humor because if not, the joke may back-fire and the joke will be on the prankste . . . or so tradition tells us.
How did this time-honored tradition of tomfoolery come into being? Well, although this is open to debate, it does seem ironic, if not poetic justice that April Fool's Day should fall in April, partly because the origin of the month's name itself is a subject of scholarly tomfoolery and debate and has some experts seriously stumped.
It's generally assumed by many anthropologists and philogists that April derived its name from the Latin word "aperire," meaning "to open," this being in allusion to the opening of buds on trees and plants.
Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), the notable German philogist and folklorists, who along with his brother Wilhelm wrote the "Grimm Fairy Tales," had, however, an opposing point of view.
He reasoned that the Romans were usually in the general habit of naming their months for deities. Besides, if April was, at first, the second month it would have been too early for spring buds. Thus, Jacob suggested that the name was taken from Aper or Aprus, a mythical godlike hero.
Still others weren't satisfied with Jacob's theory and maintained the month's name was a derivative from Aphrillis, the Latin form of the Greek name Aphrodite, who also happened to be the Greek goddess of love.
As for "April Fooling," here again no one is quite certain how it first came into being. One belief is that it is an ancient survival from the Roman Cerealia (from which we get dur word cereal), a festival held at the beginning of April.
According to the myth, the beautiful Proserpine was walking in a meadow picking spring flowers when the sinister Pluto discovered her, and being enraptured by her loveliness, carried her screaming into his underworld kingdom. The grain goddess Ceres, her mother, hearing the echo of her cries, went in search of the voice, but her efforts proved to be a fool's errand as it was impossible to locate her daughter.
The alleged beginnings include the fruitless mission of the dove sent out from the ark by Noah and, believe it or not, there is also a connection to the Easter story. Since most of mankind didn't recognize or acknowledge Christ's divinity during His ministry on earth or believe that He was indeed resurrected, they were, consequently, the first "April Fools."
There is, however, more historical data in favor of the day being a product of the 16th century. During the Middle Ages, April was for the French the first month of the year. It was King Charles IX who, in 1564, made January the first month of the year.
Prior to this change, it was traditional for people to give New Year's gifts and make social calls on April 1. Naturally conservatives disliked the change, but tricksters loved it.
Pranksters sent to the traditionalists mock gifts on April 1 and made elaborate, humorous calls of pretended ceremony.
Nowadays people tricked in France are called "poisson d'avril" or an "April fish." The reason for this is not clear. It is possibly a result of the sun leaving the zodiacal sign of Pisces at this time or because April fish are easily hooked.
April Fool's Day came to England from France during the early 18th century. From there it went on to Scotland where April fools are called April gowks. The "gowk" means being a cuckoo. Thanks to early French, English, and Scottish settlers, the "unofficial holiday" eventually came to Canada and America.
As years passed, American children enjoyed telling jokes or informing each other or their elders that there was a long thread on their coat, a black spot on their face, or a hole in a sock, then laughing loudly and exclaiming "April Fool!" as the victim looked for it. In recent decades the day fell somewhat on the wayside, but now it appears to be making a comeback thanks to some card companies.
For the most part, the day has survived and a true folk feeling continues to surround the day as can be seen in the fact that most people often refuse to commit important acts, such as opening a new business or marrying on April 1. Thus, the day's customary association with comic unreality and imposture still has a lasting influence.
There are, however, always some individuals that will ignore superstition and convention. The most famous case was Napoleon I of France, who married his second wife, Marie-Louise of Austria, on April 1, 1810. Not surprisingly, Napoleon's subjects called him an "April fish."
And so the holiday continues. Thus, if your wife or mother sends you to the store for a quart of sweet vinegar, and your father or older brother orders you to find a stick with one end, and your sister or aunt asks you to purchase a special pint of pigeon 5 milk for her rare family recipe, think again . . . There are some people still looking. No fooling!
Have a Happy April Fool's Day!
Ellie
April Fool's Day -- A Day Devoted To Tomfoolery!
By Ron Pritsch
This Saturday, for some people, is a special day. Yup, you guessed it, it's April Fool's Day.
That means you have three full days to cook up some humorous prank to pull on an acquaintance, neighbor, or family member. That is providing the intended victim has a sense of humor because if not, the joke may back-fire and the joke will be on the prankste . . . or so tradition tells us.
How did this time-honored tradition of tomfoolery come into being? Well, although this is open to debate, it does seem ironic, if not poetic justice that April Fool's Day should fall in April, partly because the origin of the month's name itself is a subject of scholarly tomfoolery and debate and has some experts seriously stumped.
It's generally assumed by many anthropologists and philogists that April derived its name from the Latin word "aperire," meaning "to open," this being in allusion to the opening of buds on trees and plants.
Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), the notable German philogist and folklorists, who along with his brother Wilhelm wrote the "Grimm Fairy Tales," had, however, an opposing point of view.
He reasoned that the Romans were usually in the general habit of naming their months for deities. Besides, if April was, at first, the second month it would have been too early for spring buds. Thus, Jacob suggested that the name was taken from Aper or Aprus, a mythical godlike hero.
Still others weren't satisfied with Jacob's theory and maintained the month's name was a derivative from Aphrillis, the Latin form of the Greek name Aphrodite, who also happened to be the Greek goddess of love.
As for "April Fooling," here again no one is quite certain how it first came into being. One belief is that it is an ancient survival from the Roman Cerealia (from which we get dur word cereal), a festival held at the beginning of April.
According to the myth, the beautiful Proserpine was walking in a meadow picking spring flowers when the sinister Pluto discovered her, and being enraptured by her loveliness, carried her screaming into his underworld kingdom. The grain goddess Ceres, her mother, hearing the echo of her cries, went in search of the voice, but her efforts proved to be a fool's errand as it was impossible to locate her daughter.
The alleged beginnings include the fruitless mission of the dove sent out from the ark by Noah and, believe it or not, there is also a connection to the Easter story. Since most of mankind didn't recognize or acknowledge Christ's divinity during His ministry on earth or believe that He was indeed resurrected, they were, consequently, the first "April Fools."
There is, however, more historical data in favor of the day being a product of the 16th century. During the Middle Ages, April was for the French the first month of the year. It was King Charles IX who, in 1564, made January the first month of the year.
Prior to this change, it was traditional for people to give New Year's gifts and make social calls on April 1. Naturally conservatives disliked the change, but tricksters loved it.
Pranksters sent to the traditionalists mock gifts on April 1 and made elaborate, humorous calls of pretended ceremony.
Nowadays people tricked in France are called "poisson d'avril" or an "April fish." The reason for this is not clear. It is possibly a result of the sun leaving the zodiacal sign of Pisces at this time or because April fish are easily hooked.
April Fool's Day came to England from France during the early 18th century. From there it went on to Scotland where April fools are called April gowks. The "gowk" means being a cuckoo. Thanks to early French, English, and Scottish settlers, the "unofficial holiday" eventually came to Canada and America.
As years passed, American children enjoyed telling jokes or informing each other or their elders that there was a long thread on their coat, a black spot on their face, or a hole in a sock, then laughing loudly and exclaiming "April Fool!" as the victim looked for it. In recent decades the day fell somewhat on the wayside, but now it appears to be making a comeback thanks to some card companies.
For the most part, the day has survived and a true folk feeling continues to surround the day as can be seen in the fact that most people often refuse to commit important acts, such as opening a new business or marrying on April 1. Thus, the day's customary association with comic unreality and imposture still has a lasting influence.
There are, however, always some individuals that will ignore superstition and convention. The most famous case was Napoleon I of France, who married his second wife, Marie-Louise of Austria, on April 1, 1810. Not surprisingly, Napoleon's subjects called him an "April fish."
And so the holiday continues. Thus, if your wife or mother sends you to the store for a quart of sweet vinegar, and your father or older brother orders you to find a stick with one end, and your sister or aunt asks you to purchase a special pint of pigeon 5 milk for her rare family recipe, think again . . . There are some people still looking. No fooling!
Have a Happy April Fool's Day!
Ellie