Tavong From Colombia, joined Jul 2001, 837 posts, RR: 4 Posted (9 years 11 months 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1478 times:
I'm sorry to ask and i'm going to look like a complete idiot but here in My country there is no "april's fool" ,i can get some if what is by the name but can anyone explain me what is exactly April's fool and what does it celebrate and when it started?
Thanks in advance...
Colombian coffee, the best...take a cup and you will see how delicious it is.
Backfire From Germany, joined Oct 2006, 0 posts, RR: 0
Reply 6, posted (9 years 11 months 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1429 times:
Quoting Tavong (Thread starter): It comes from the fact that April 1 used to be the first day of the new year. An "April Fool" was a person who forgot to change their calendar to the new year.
Hmm. Not necessarily.This is from museumofhoaxes.com:
The most widespread theory about the origin of April Fool's Day involves the Gregorian calendar reform of the late sixteenth century. Although popular, this theory has a number of problems with it.
The calendar change hypothesis might provide a reason for why April 1st specifically became the date of the modern holiday. But it is clear that the idea of a springtime festival honoring misrule and mayhem had far more ancient roots. In addition, the process by which the observance of the day spread from France to protestant countries such as Germany, Scotland, and England is left unexplained by this theory. These nations only adopted the calendar change during the eighteenth century, at a time when the tradition of April Foolery had already been well established throughout Europe. Finally, it is not clear what, if any, primary evidence (i.e. first-hand accounts written during the 16th and 17th centuries) supports the theory. The link between the calendar change and April 1st appears to be based on modern conjecture rather than archival research. Therefore, while the theory remains a possibility, it should not be treated as a fact.
Petertenthije From Netherlands, joined Jul 2001, 3421 posts, RR: 11
Reply 14, posted (9 years 11 months 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 1284 times:
The way I understood it april fools came from the Netherlands.
At the first of april in the year "long ago" (forgot my history ) the Dutch city of Den Briel was captured by the Watergeuzen. They did so not by brute force but by fooling the Spanish forces. Overnight the Dutch came in on a supply vessel. They raised the Dutch flag on the church, and rang the church bells. The Spanish troops saw the flag and though they had been overrun, and fled.
Anyway, it's been long since I had history class so I might be slightly off.
Flybyguy From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 1802 posts, RR: 1
Reply 15, posted (9 years 11 months 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 1282 times:
A classic practical joke is the dollar on a string. I tried it once on a few friends in High School. It was fun since as I tricked more and more people they began to chip in with bigger bills. I tell you a $50 bill is far more effective than a $1 bill.
"Are you a pretender... or a thoroughbred?!" - Professor Matt Miller