April Fool’s Day Cometh

April Fool’s day is not a true holiday but it is celebrated in many other countries besides the U.S. There are pranks, jokes and hoaxes played all over the world on April 1.

Since there are so many different theories on the origin of April Fool’s day, I’m just going to pick the one I like best. In many pre-Christian cultures May Day or May 1st was celebrated as the first day of summer and signaled the start of the spring planting season. An April Fool was someone who did this prematurely. My father, who was a farmer, often called people fools when they planted too early. I guess that’s why I like this theory best. It makes sense and it makes me think of my Dad.

He was a great one for April Fool pranks. Salt in the sugar bowl was probably his favorite and my sister and I fell for it every year. He always made sure Mom gave us cereal on April Fool’s morning so he could fool us early and first. All these years later, I can still taste that salt mixed in with my corn flakes.

You have to be vigilant on April Fool’s day. Trust no one or no thing. The most innocent looking person or package could make you the next fool. Don’t let your guard down but if you do get fooled, have a good laugh and then go make a fool of someone else! 

I have great faith in fools-self confidence, my friends call it.~Edgar Allan Poe