Page 48 - April 2016

april foolS day TriCk, prank, and Be merry
STory By
clair anna rose
The first and best time I have ever been made an “April Fool” was when I was five years old and my best friend called me on the telephone to tell me she had just passed my house on her way home, and there was a giant parrot in my front yard — I had to hurry and go
catch it! I dropped the receiver and ran outside to catch the parrot, and when I finally went back to the phone she called out, “April Fools!”
This is one of the many “holidays” I have participated in without really knowing where the traditions spring from. Following my curiosity, which knows no bounds, I began my search for answers to why we make April fools of the ones we adore.
Like St. Valentine’s Day, April Fools Day is one of those holidays with unknown origins — and it too is a Saint’s Feast Day, or more accurately was. Over the centuries Saints have been removed from the list on canonized saints for various reasons, and St. Bernard of Feuilla is one of them.
How does St. Bernard of Feuilla tie in with April Fools Day? St. Bernard of Feuilla was martyred on April 1, 1026 — or so it was believed until in 1304 when writings by the Saint were found, which detailed his planned martyrdom — which was an elaborate hoax.
Though the Saint performed many good deeds during his time, his writing revealed his “miracles’ were hoaxes as well — hence the tradition of pulling pranks or tricking someone on the Saint’s Feast Day. After the truth of his hoax was revealed his name became something of a joke, and the tradition of pranks lived on through the centuries, though the memory of the Saint fell into the background. Avril Feuilla, became “April Fools,” fitting since the Saint
made fools of everyone who believed his death.
By the 18th century in Scotland, April Fools Day became known as “Hunting the Gowk”
(Gowk is another word for a silly bird — the Cuckoo). Folks would be tricked into running around false messages, and would be passed on from one home to the next — or sent on fake errands — the origin of the Wild Goose Chase. April Fools Day was a two-day affair and was followed by Tallie Day. If you were ever victim to a “kick me” sign on your back during your school days — this is a traditional Tallie day prank.
Besides “Kick Me’ and the Wild Goose Chase of yester-year, the Victorian Era gave birth to the prank phone call on April Fools Day. To keep alive the fun of April Fool’s Day, here are some ideas for a little good-natured foolery:
Sew eaSy
A few simple pranks involve items from the sewing box. You can lightly sew someone’s pockets closed or sew their PJs to their bed sheets while they sleep. Place a spool of thread in your pocket with a loose end hanging out, and when someone offers to pull it, see how long they will gather up the loose string before they catch on, or, using a needle and thread, loosely sew all of someone’s underpants together and put them back in their drawer.
Spare Change
There are quite a few good ones that have to do with money: tape a quarter over a faucet so it sends out a spray when turned on, glue a quarter to the sidewalk, or my personal favorite — attach a dollar bill to a fishing line, and when someone stoops to pick it up, pull it away! Pop some coins in the freezer overnight and slip them in somebody special’s shoes before they put them on.
The TimeleSS Swap
Sugar in the saltshaker, balsamic vinegar in the wine bottle, mayo in the shampoo bottle — the possibilities are endless, just play nice.
Clear CoaT
Clear nail polish isn’t just for making fingernails glossy, you can also use it play pranks on your friends. Brush clear nail polish all over a bar of soap and let it dry before placing it in a loved one’s shower or coat the tip of a pencil so it won’t write.
Bon appeTiT
Some pranks involve food — toothpaste in the center of an Oreo or used to decorate cupcakes, a mixed bowl of M&Ms and Skittles, or taking a feather out of my mother’s cap: pull all the sheets off the bed, cover the mattress with corn flakes, replace the fitted sheet and remake the bed to look perfectly in order — until the unsuspecting fool gets between the sheets.
| Clair Anna Rose wishes everyone a fun April Fools Day, and if you believed every word of this article — April Fools! clair@thenoise.us
48 • APRIL 2016 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us
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