April Fools Day

Here is the educational part of this post.

Unlike most of the other nonfoolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. It is not like Halloween, where despite an interesting history, most people just put on Halloween costumes, get candy, and leave it at that. 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 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated 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, or I accidentally stepped on your glasses!), 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 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!

(This was taken from an article by Jerry Wilson.)

You Know What They Say About Fools...

It's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and leave no doubt. --Mark Twain

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

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

Here is where I drop the prim and proper school marm act and admit to what we are really up to today.

First thing I saw when I went to the kitchen for my coffee this morning was this:



And this...



All the calendars in the house seem to have the same sense of timing. With the same day circled.

I went to get my coffee, and noticed the milk was a little strange looking.



Then I fell for this gag. I applauded this one.



The result of that was that my arm got a bath. Hahaha!

I went into the living and saw this... notice anything missing?



And this snarky note caught my attention:



I have some plans of my own. For breakfast we had purple pancakes.



I am washing sheets today. Normally the kids make their own beds, but later I will be so kind as to do it for them. I think you can guess what that means. Mwhahahahahaha!

Since the kids are so stuck on Christmas I have in a silly CD that is all Christmas music, done with tools! It is actually pretty interesting, but they got a kick out of it. Tonight we are going to pop in our Three Stooges DVD and make some popcorn and have a fun family night. Dale loves the Three Stooges. I don't care for them, but will work on some knitting while sitting with the family. My eyes will be sure to get a good workout from all the rolling they will be doing.

I have a few other tricks up my short sleeves, if opportunity arises. All of it designed to say one thing.

Don't mess with the Mom.

Amidst all the tomfoolery around here, we are doing some cleaning and schoolwork, and I'm hoping Isaac will nap well this afternoon so I can get some sewing or knitting in. I have a simple lap quilt ready to go, but I looked at the backing and noticed I managed to baste in a nice big tuck, so I need to rebaste it. Drat! I hate basting, but what is a body to do?

I finished the back to my Seaweed Cardigan yesterday and casted on for the fronts. I will be knitting them both at once. I had planned on getting a lot of the ribbing done, but Isaac simply refused to sleep at nap time and I lost a lot of my creative time.