English

DISCOVERING THE PAST

18

APRIL FOOL’S DAY –

April 2013

ALL FOOLS DAY

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

The origin of April Fools’ Day is not known exactly. There have been

1. It is believed that April Fool’s Day was first

many guesses and explanations for its origin. Some believe the celebra-

celebrated around what year?

tion of April Fool’s Day began many years ago in France. People believe

a) 1470

that this day perhaps relates back to an ancient New Year’s festival held

b) 1582

on the vernal Equinox, March 21. This was the beginning of the new year

c) 1600

2. It is generally accepted that the April Fool’s

according to the pre-Gregorian calendar. In France when the implementa-

Day tradition started in this country.

tion of the Gregorian calendar was changed, by Charles IX in 1564, the

a) France

beginning of the new year was changed and celebrated on January first,

b) Britain

those people who still celebrated the day on the first of April were known

c) Spain

as April Fools. Prior to the change of the date it was customary to give

3. In Scotland April Fool’s Day is celebrated for

gifts on the first day of the year therefore when the date was changed

a) one day

b) two days

people began sending mock gifts to other people on April first making

c) three days

them April fools. In France a person who resisted in changing the date

4. How do the French call the first day of April?

of the new year was victimized by pranksters who played practical jokes

a) April’s Cat

on him, this person became to be known as a poisson d’avril otherwise

b) April’s Chicken

known as an April Fish.

c) April’s Fish

The custom made its way around to other nations as well. Sometime

5. How do French children fool their friends?

a) They put a tack on their chair

later England and Scotland decided to adopt the custom of playing jokes

b) They tape a paper fish to their backs

on people. In Scotland the favourite April fool’s joke is to send someone

c) They tell knock-knock jokes

on a cuckoo hunt. The word gowk is derived from the word geck, which

6. In this European country April 1 is called April

means “someone who is easily imposed upon.” The prank of sending

“Gowk”.

someone out on a cuckoo hunt became so common that in Scotland April

a) Scotland

b) Ireland

Fools’ Day is known as April Gowk Day. This is considered to be a prank

c) France

because there is no such thing as a cuckoo.

7. The first recorded April Fool’s joke was pulled

Most believe April Fools’ Day was derived by the change of the cal-

in London, and involved inviting the public to

endar. Some believe the origin comes from the timing of the year during

The Tower of London to see these animals

the vernal equinox. The weather fools all mankind. In many countries

being washed.

April Fools’ Day is celebrated on other days besides the first of April.

a) elephants

b) horses

In Mexico April Fools’ Day is celebrated on the 28th of December. In

c) lions

ancient Rome the day was celebrated on the 25th of March. Also in India

8. Who said, “The first of April is the day we re-

they observe the day on the 31st of March. In America the day is mostly

member what we are the other 364 days of

observed by young people and practical jokers who want to get a laugh at

the year.”

someone else’s expense.

a) Jules Verne

One other theory of how the day came about was derived from the

b) Mark Twain

c) Oscar Wilde

remnant of the festival of Cerelia. This was an ancient Roman feast

Answers:

which celebrated the story of Proserpina. According to the legend,

Proserpina was abducted by Pluto the Roman God while she was gath-

1 b) 1582. Although there is no conclusive infor-

ering lilies in the valley. Proserpina’s mother Ceres was so distressed

mation on when exactly the first April Fool’s Day

celebration occurred, it is believed that it was

to hear about the abduction of her daughter that she began to make a

celebrated around 1582.

futile search for her. Because of the hopelessness of Ceres mission

2. a) France. It is believed that the tradition started

her quest to find her daughter has been known to be called the “fool’s

in France in 1582 with the reform of the Grego-

errand.”

rian calendar.

Many different kinds of tricks are played on April Fools’ Day. Some of

3. b) In Scotland April Fool’s Day is celebrated for

two days.

which are the hunt for the cuckoo in Scotland, or the April fool’s letter. It

4. c) The French call April Fool’s day April Fish.

is important to remember however that the jokes one plays should be all

5. b) They attach pictures of fish to a victim’s back

in good fun for both sides. April Fools’ Day should not be a day to play

and when it is discovered they yell April’s Fish.

nasty jokes on unsuspecting victims. One must remember the difference

6. a) In Scotland April “gowk” is named after the

between a good joke and a bad one.

cuckoo bird which is considered stupid.

7. c) Lions. The invitation was printed in a news-

Overall April Fools’ Day is a day in which everyone can have a lot of

paper in 1680.The lions had been removed

fun pulling pranks.

from the tower many years before but still many

The day most probably began because of the change in the calendar

people showed up to watch the

lions being

and the day now lives on as a day of fun and practical jokes.

washed.