The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-01
ApriI Eool,s Day.

On the first Of April, from time immemorial, custom
has prevailed in almost every country Of making fools of
ones neahbors and friends The wit used chiefly TO
sending persons foolish errands such for the
"Hstory Of EYES Mother" for "plgeon's MILK" for
hens teeth i" or for stirrup oil 10 shoemaker who
generally beat the fool with leather strap called STIR
rup. The origin ofthe very obscure, reaching
back to remotest antiquity. Poor Robins Amanack for
1760 has these lines
The first Of April some do say
Is set apart for All Fbols Day;
But why the people call It 30,
Nor l. nor they themselves do know
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merrment;
And though the day is known before;
Yet frequently there is great store
OF these forgetuls TO be found,
Who're sent TO dance .Aoll Dizon's round.
The same writer remarks that it is hard to say which
is the greater foolthe sender the sent Goldsmith in
his Vicar Of Wakefield describing the OF the
tics, tells that among other customs which they follow
cd, they " showed their wit the First of April"
In the north OF England and in Scotland the persons i'm
posed upon called capri gowks Or as il some-
times written sawks." In Scotland they have custom
of "hunting the gowk the FIRST Of April which done
by sending silly people fools errands by OF let
ters Of which they bearers and in which wren-
On the FIRST day OF Aprile
Hunt the gowk another mile
gowk is properly cuckoo, bird Of passage, which is
known by its calling the word "cuckoo, and makes its
appearance about the first of April It is considered
foolish because lays s eggs in other BIRDS nests
The French have their All Fools Day. and call the per-
con imposed upon an "Aprl Fish'-Pdsson lie Aur The
alusion TO the mackerel which appears in the French
waters about that time, and is easily caught
The custom prevails among the Swedes and also the
Germans who describe II In the phrase Enen zaB April
shien" 1t is to be found in Persia and India and the
ancient Romans as Plutarch informs Us, called it the
"Feast Of Fools"
The primitive Christians supposed to have borrowed
a ta ne mn pft thcr
holidays and customs, In order TO coDcite them TO the
new faith. The feast Of the Immaculate Conception or
the 'Dcarpaton Of Christ is the 25th OF March, and
TINT festival like other great festivals had its octave
eight days) the last OF which the let Of April The
first and last days Of The octave always OBJ
served Another Interpretation is, that the rst of April
beng supposed to bo the day which Christ mock
ed by the Jewe, sent from Annas TO Caphas, from Ga
phas to Plste from Plate tn Herod Herod back
again to Plate, the custom bad ts origin from this pas
day being corrupted in the French TO poisson But
the most probable origin is in the customs Of the ancient
Celtic Druids worshppers Of the SUM- who celebrated the
verra equinox with great reoicngs and msrrment this
being in the olden time New Years day. beginning
Of the year. when the began shoot forth genial
warmth to the earth clothing with verdure causing
all nature TO rejoice The word April is derived from the
Latin dpuio-to open-the sun then opening the year.