Happy April Fools’ Day !!

Its hard to believe that its April 1st already. Do you celebrate this day or is it just another day? Personally, I enjoy the fun, good hearted jokes, but I can live without the more mean spirited type of pranks some people pull. IMHO, I don’t think you have to hurt someone else’s feelings to make your prank be fun. I tend to like the puns that make you think, more than the physical practical jokes, again, just my thoughts on the topic 🙂

I was curious about the origins for April Fools’ Day, so, like any red blooded American, I GOOGLED it (duh). Here are some things I learned from my research:

• There is no actual historical proof of how the celebrations of April 1st started only myths and legends.
• According to legend, some believe it has to do with Pope Gregory XIII changing the calendar to show January 1^st as New Years Day instead of the current date of April 1^st. Apparently, not everyone heard the news of the change, so they continued to celebrate New Years on April 1^st, making them appear “foolish” to those who knew about the change.
• Another theory has to do with people having a fun, mischievous mood because it was finally spring, marking the end of a long cold winter.
• Another myth states that it originates in a 1500’s Flemish poem about a nobleman sending his servant on several absurd errands. One stanza of the poem states “Refrain on fool’s errand-day/which is the first of April”.

As noted earlier, no one can say for certain why, but there are many stories revolving around celebrating April Fools’ Day with fun and mischief. My research came from The Washington Post, the International Business Times and the Museum of Hoaxes.

Happy April Fools’ Day !! Have fun and be kind 🙂