APRIL FOOLS’ - No Foolin’!

What is it about the first day of April that brings out the “prankster” in people?  You know, things like putting a rubber snake on the bathroom floor; taping open the handle on the kitchen sink sprayer; being sent on an errand to retrieve a left-handed pipe wrench; or with a straight face, telling a co-worker there is an IRS agent in the lobby asking for them (that time of year you know!). You’ve probably been the victim, the perpetrator, or both, of pranks on April Fool’s Day!

I know I have been. My dear wife loves garage sales. So, when I saw my neighbor doing some “spring cleaning” in his garage on April 1st, I told her that that our neighbor was having a garage sale. She went right over to the neighbors’ home and started looking at the items from his garage sitting out on the driveway. In a few minutes, our sweet neighbor let her know he was simply cleaning out his garage!

I love popcorn. Being honest, I don’t think anyone makes a better perfect batch than me.  Seizing an opportunity to even the score, my same sweet wife added vinegar to my special popcorn cooking oil and, boy oh boy, did I regret sending her to my neighbors’ house!

According to “History.com”, April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582 in France when some people were slow to convert to a new calendar system. So, instead of celebrating New Year’s Day on January 1, they celebrated it on April 1. They became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” Over time, the fun, the pranks, and the jokes spread throughout Europe and eventually to America where there is apparently no end, or limit, to the April Fools’ Day pranks. They happen in baseball, politics, and fast food! History.com records:

“In 1985, Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton tricked many readers when he ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour.

In 1992, National Public Radio ran a spot with former President Richard Nixon saying he was running for president again…only it was an actor, not Nixon, and the segment was all an April Fools’ Day prank that caught the country by surprise.

In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell.”

Those are fun and innocent pranks that make people look foolish. On April 1st, make sure you are not the fool by the way you talk about others. In the Bible, Proverbs 10:18 (NIV) says:  “Whoever…spreads slander is a fool”.  If you talk bad about others, the joke will be on you!

Resources:

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day

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