By: Hettie Basil Lighttower

This week was April Fool’s Day. Did you get fooled? Did you get someone with a joke aka lie? I used to be very good at coming up with April fool’s jokes, my sense of humor has an imagination at times. In my latter years, if I have played an April fool’s joke on someone, I have tried to keep it light and funny. I think it is important to be compassionate even in jest. I don’t agree with pulling a fearful or extenuating hurtful “joke” which is in truth a lie at the expense of someone’s feelings or embarrassment.
Do you know the origination of this celebrated day? I didn’t until this year when I got curious. I will share what I learned with you. Although it has been observed for many centuries, no one really knows its true origins. I am sure SOMEONE knows but they are not alive to tell us about it. And there wasn’t much help on the internet in my research about it. I did find out that it is celebrated in many other countries as well. And sometimes on different days other than the first of April.
One thing I did find is that telling your friend that their shoelaces are untied is a way to send them on a “fool’s errand”. In other words, setting up a task for them that is meaningless, a bit humorous and enjoy the reaction of frustration on having believed you.
Some historians do believe the day was started in France in the 1500s. Back in the day France went with the Gregorian calendar which then started after the spring equinox and an average date of the new calendar starting was around the first of April. Then, many in France were unaware that the calendar changed to January 1. So, those still going by the old calendar of April 1 were considered fools for not keeping up with the times. But this story is just one suggestion of how it came to be. No one knows for certain.
Another theory comes from the idea of a poem written in 1651. It says a nobleman sent his servant on a fool’s errand and the day was the first of April. People liked the poem and took pleasure in its content and then mimicked the poem by creating their own “fool’s errands” for folks they wanted to have a laugh with.
And then what if your birthday falls on the first of April??? Yikes! I did not have that problem. But I can only imagine how rough life could be being an “April Fool”. Do you know anyone born on this day? I actually have known four people in my life that have this day as a birthday. Two people I still am in contact with, and I do try to remember to send them a birthday greeting. It is nice to be remembered on your birthday. As a matter of fact, I think it helps me to remember their birthday easier!
I have another friend who’s birthday I tend to forget regularly. Her day is the 13th of February. I am distracted with the idea of Valentine’s day, and then usually have to apologize on the 14th with a “Happy Belated Birthday” and a “Happy Valentine’s Day”. That’s terrible. But somehow it has been a very routine occurrence.
A popular April Fool’s prank was pulled off in 1957 by the BBC news program in England. They made a gallant effort to convince the public that spaghetti grows on trees! Haha. But back then spaghetti was not well known in England and so some folks really fell prey to the joke. As a matter of fact one caller asked where they could purchase a spaghetti tree! Actually, with as little as young folks know these days about growing their own food and how food is made, I wouldn’t be surprised if the prank would be successful in today’s news in the United States!
All in all we get 24 hours to play pranks, give believable hoaxes and make jokes. It is day of playful deception with a deceiving origin with mysteries of its own truth. I hope you didn’t fall for anything that sounded too good to be true.
Send in your notions and comments to [email protected]. I will include them in the next available column as per their arrival relative to the publication deadline of Tuesday by 12 p.m. of the same week. If you wish to be anonymous let me know. Kindness is contagious~*