It’s another April Fools’ Day and one has to be on the lookout for jokes from family and friends. Moreover newspapers will have field day publishing fake stories here and there. It is all part of the ‘spirit’ of April Fools’ Day. April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day is celebrated every year on April 1 by playing practical jokes or spreading hoaxes. The first time I became a victim of this prank was when one of my cousins informed me that one of my aunties who stayed in Canada for ages has just arrived with lots of goodies for me. I hurriedly went to their residence to take my share of the ‘abrokyire’ goods only to realise it was a hoax. In fact I got really angry.
So why do people this sort of thing only on April 1? Historians are not particular about the true origin of April Fools’ Day. Some people believe the original April Fools were those who failed to pay attention when much of Europe adopted the Gregorian calendar, which is still use today, introduced by Pope Gregory in 1582.
The new calendar moved the start of the year from April to January and those who continued to celebrate the New Year at the old date on April 1 were ridiculed as April Fools. It sounds interesting doesn’t it? Well, there is more.
Another version says England’s King George III joked of stepping down on April 1, 1789. When peasants began to celebrate their freedom, they were arrested and jailed.
According to religious customs, Noah sent out a dove on April to ee if the floodwaters had receded, but they hadn’t.
According to Wikepedia: In the UK, an April Fool joke is revealed by shouting “April fool!” at the recipient, who becomes the “April fool”. A study in the 1950s, by folklorists Iona and Peter Opie, found that in the UK, and in countries whose traditions derived from the UK, the joking ceased at midday. A person playing a joke after midday is the “April fool” themselves.
In Scotland, April Fools’ Day was traditionally called ‘Huntigowk Day’, although this name has fallen into disuse. The name is a corruption of ‘Hunt the Gowk’, “gowk” being Scots for a cuckoo or a foolish person; alternative terms in Gaelic would be Là na Gocaireachd ‘gowking day’ or Là Ruith na Cuthaige ‘the day of running the cuckoo’. The traditional prank is to ask someone to deliver a sealed message that supposedly requests help of some sort. In fact, the message reads “Dinna laugh, dinna smile. Hunt the gowk another mile.” The recipient, upon reading it, will explain he can only help if he first contacts another person, and sends the victim to this next person with an identical message, with the same result.
In England a “fool” is known by different names around the country, including a “noodle”, “gob”, “gobby” or “noddy”.
The theory of April varies from countries to countries as well as the type of prank. However although it meant to be a joke, many people consider it rude and manipulative especially news from distinguished media houses which turn out to be false on this particular day.
As the time of putting this piece together news has gone viral about Manchester United player Juan Mata undergoing surgery on groin problem. Some are clinging on the probability it could be a hoax as the news coincides with April Fools’ Day.
It is obvious April Fools’ Day is not always funny. Anyway just remember after midday, April Fools’ Day cease to be valid.
