April Fool’s Day, Yes It’s April.
So I went looking for the history of April Fool’s Day and found that people couldn’t agree on where it came from. It’s practiced not only in America and Canada but also in Western Europe, a practice dating back to romans and All Fools’ Day. Others argue for its beginning having started with the “appearance” of the New Year which fell on April 1st for the Romans and Hindus. It also comes close to the Spring Equinox, March 21 which during Medieval Times also started the beginning the the new year with the feast of the Annunciation.
A newspaper’s April Fool Joke and History:
Constantine and Kugel
Another explanation of the origins of April Fools’ Day was provided by Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University. He explained that the practice began during the reign of Constantine, when a group of court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that they could do a better job of running the empire. Constantine, amused, allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for one day. Kugel passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day, and the custom became an annual event.
“In a way,” explained Prof. Boskin, “it was a very serious day. In those times fools were really wise men. It was the role of jesters to put things in perspective with humor.”
This explanation was brought to the public’s attention in an Associated Press article printed by many newspapers in 1983. There was only one catch: Boskin made the whole thing up. It took a couple of weeks for the AP to realize that they’d been victims of an April Fools’ joke themselves.
Yes, they’d been pranked.
More searches brought up more explanations, never the same, mind you. Even better for a day all about jokes and prianks.
The Origin of “Fool’s Errands”
According to Roman myth, the god Pluto abducted Proserpina to the underworld. Her mother Ceres only heard her daughter’s voice echo and searched for her in vain. The fruitless search is believed by some to have inspired the tradition of “fool’s errands”, practical jokes where people are asked to complete an impossible or imaginary task.
All Fool’s Day in British Folklore
British folklore links April Fool’s Day to the town of Gotham in Nottinghamshire. According to the legend, it was traditional in the 13th century for any road that the king placed his foot upon to become public property. So when Gotham’s citizens heard that King John planned to travel through their town, they refused him entry, not wishing to lose their main road. When the king heard this, he sent soldiers to the town. But when the soldiers arrived in Gotham, they found the town full of fools engaged in foolish activities such as drowning fish. As a result, the king declared the town too foolish to warrant punishment.
April Fool’s Pranks
April 1 is a day for practical jokes in many countries around the world. The simplest jokes may involve children who tell each other that their shoelaces are undone and then cry out “April Fool!” when the victims glance at their feet. Some April Fool’s jokes publicized in the media include:
- In 2002, British supermarket chain Tesco published an advertisement in The Sun, announcing a genetically modified ‘whistling carrot’. The ad explained that the carrots were engineered to grow with tapered air holes in their side. When fully cooked, these holes would cause the carrot to whistle.
- In the early 1960s there was only one television channel in Sweden, broadcast in black and white. As an April Fool’s joke, it was announced on the news that viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception by pulling a nylon stocking over their screen.
- In 1934, many American newspapers, including The New York Times, printed a photograph of a man flying through the air, supported by a device powered only by the breath from his lungs. Accompanying articles excitedly described this miraculous new invention
And Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ April Fool’s Day Joke? Well, it’s still March, the 31st to be exact. April starts tomorrow! We just didn’t want to miss out on the fun!
Happy April Fool’s a day early!
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, March 31:
- Release Blitz – This Is Not A Love Story – Suki Fleet
- April Fool’s Day, Yes It’s April.
- This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Monday, April 1 ~ April Fool’s Day:
- Review Tour – Scott (Owatonna U Hockey #2) by R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey (
- Blog Tour Better Be Sure by Andrew Gallo
- T. Neilson on Yes, Chef(Amuse Bouche #2)
- A Stella Release Day Review: Yes, Chef (Amuse Bouche #2) by T. Neilson
- An Ashlez Review: OFF THE ICE by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn
- A MelanieM Review: Scott (Owatonna U Hockey #2) by R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey
- A MelanieM Audio review The Spy’s Love Song (Stars from Peril #1) by Kim Fielding and Drew Bacca
Tuesday, April 2:
- SPEAK NO EVIL by J.R. Gray Blog Tour
- Release Blitz – Shane K Morton – Fault Lines
- BLOG TOUR At A Stranger’s Mercy by Brittany Cournoyer
- An Alisa Review: Radical Hearts (Deviant Hearts #2) by A E Ryecart
- An Ali Review Frost by Isabelle Adler
- A Free Dreamer Lust and Other Drugs (Mytho #1) by TJ Nichols
- A Free Dreamer Review: Speak No Evil by J.R. Gray
Wednesday, April 3:
- Review Tour – Midnight Flit by Elin Gregory
- Release Blitz – – Honeythorn by Marina Vivancos
- PROMO Soulstealers by Jacqueline Rohrbach
- Cover Reveal, – Avery Cockburn – Play Hard
- PROMO Sloan Johnson on Kindred Spirit
- An Ali Audio Review Handle with Care by Cari Z and John Solo
- A Caryn Review: Midnight Flit by Elin Gregory
Thursday, April 4:
- Snow Storm by Davidson King Blog Tour
- PROMO Asher Quinn
- A MelanieM Release Day Review: The Yuchae Blossom (World of Love) by Asher Quinn
- A MelanieM Review:No Quick Fix (Torus Intercession #1) by Mary Calmes
- An ALisa Audio Review Romancing the Undercover Millionaire (Romancing the… #3) by Clare London and Seb Yarick (narrator)
Friday, April 5
- Review Tour – Quinn Ward – Kiss Me, Daddy
- PROMO TJ Nichols
- Blog and Review Tour Arctic Sun by Annabeth Albert
- A Stella Review: Copper Creek (Sawyer’s Ferry #3) by Cate Ashwood
- An Alisa Review: Kiss Me, Daddy (Club 83 #1) by Quinn Ward
- A MelanieM Review: Arctic Sun (Frozen Hearts #1) by Annabeth Albert
Saturday, April 6:
- BOOK BLAST – The Selkie Prince’s Secret Baby (The Royal Alphas ) by JJ Masters
- A MelanieM Review: The Ghost Had An Early Checkout by Josh Lanyon
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 
Thanks for the interesting sharing these April fool day jokes with us. It does sounds interesting and I can see how some would be duped by it.
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