It's that time of year again. The air turns warmer, the daffodils are a-sprouting, birds are a-courting and the trees are a-budding. Yep, it's almost April Fools Day again. Drat.
Now, I love clever parody, witty insights, snarky repartee, and observational humor on the everyday or commonly experienced moments of life. I just don't particularly find comedy at another's expense funny, especially where it's prolonged or potentially harmful. This is why I've never been a fan of those TV shows where professional pranksters go undercover to dupe unsuspecting folks or place them in embarrassing situations to film their reactions. Unless there's a point (like some sort of actual sanctioned study, I guess), it seems, well, rather pointless, and many times just mean. I usually end-up feeling sorry for the intended victim of the joke. And yes, I have been both the "victim" on numerous occasions over the years and on fewer occasions, even the prankster. I've usually ended-up regretting the latter, however, and just hoping Karma wasn't watching that day.
Which brings me back to Aprils Fools Day. Oh, geez, you might say, snap out of it and lighten-up. Get over yourself. Most of it is harmless and just for fun. In fact, many folks have a tradition of trading annual pranks! We need some laughs, right? Especially after LAST year.
Well, I admit, THAT's certainly true. And, who am I, a 21st century upstart, to question a centuries old tradition. Yes, April Fool's Day is really over 500 years old, at least according to some rather reputable sources like History.com:
"Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1.
People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person."
Mmm...Maybe the "April Fish" is where the idea of the old "Kick Me" sign on the tush or the "I'm with Stupid" post-it on the back of the jacket originated.
In any case, I guess history is against me. So, if you must prank, maybe do so gently. There are plenty of "good natured" or "safe for kids" April Fool's jokes on the internet. Or, see here, here and here for some silly family-oriented pranks (some of these overlap) that might be fun, but mild, and make all parties laugh, the "butt" included!
As for me, the hubs may promise not to do anything this year, but that in itself may be the April Fool's joke. In any case, I'm still going to be careful opening the refrigerator Thursday.
