April Fool's Day Frolics Through History

This coming Monday is April 1st, a day that is near and dear to your editor. Did you ever wonder why so many people play pranks on others on April 1? Historians are unsure of the exact origins of this special day. Some believe it dates back to ancient Rome when festivals such as Hilaria were celebrated at the end of March. People would dress in disguises during the celebration.

A second theory is that April Fool's Day was tied to the first day of spring when Mother Nature fooled everyone with unpredictable and changing weather. Those in the mid-Atlantic can appreciate this explanation, especially the past few years. Seventy degrees in February and snow on the first day of Spring. Another theory is that this day of pranks dates back to 1582 when France officially changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar per mandate from the Council of Trent. Some of the citizens failed to get the message and became the brunt of jokes and pranks.

Most likely, we suspect April Fool's was started in England around 1700 when people began to play practical jokes on one another. It then spread throughout the British Isles. In the 18th century, Scotland had a two-day celebration. On the first day, people were sent on phony errands. The second day, known as Tailie Day, involved such sophomoric acts as pinning tails or "kick me" signs on the rear ends of unsuspecting victims.

The tradition of pranks has continued until today. Some of the great April Fool's day hoaxes include the following:

• In 1996, Taco Bell announced that it had purchased the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and was going to rename it Taco Liberty Bell.

• In 1998, Burger King announced it had developed a left-handed whopper.

• Who can forget Sports Illustrated's immortal Sidd Finch who was reported to be able to throw a 168 mile per hour fastball?

• In 2007, Google announced a new product, Gmail Paper, which would print emails, stack them in a box and ship them to your door.

• In 1998, New Mexicans for Science and Reason published that the Alabama legislature voted to change the value of Pi to a purer biblical version of 3.0.

• In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers had harvested a record spaghetti crop and showed video of people picking pasta from trees.

What is your favorite April Fool's gag? Please share it with us on the DPHA Facebook Page or LinkedIn Group. And yes indeed, Connections will be back next week if you have renewed your 2019 DPHA annual dues. Happy April Fools!