Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-04-02

eight days, whereof the first and last we @
the principal, tho first Of April was the
octave Of the 18th of March. and the close
and ending of that feast, which was both the
festival Of the Annunciation and of the New
Year, II therefore became day of cxtrnor-
binary nirth and festivitv, especially with
the lower classes. This probably accounts
for the origin Of the ridiculous customs of
All-fools-Day
The following observations uf Maurice.
in his Indian Antiquities, favurs the adop-
ton Of this theory as the most probable one.
In speaking Of the first Of April or tie an
cient feast of the Nerna Equinox, equally
observed in India and Britain, he saws;
"The first OF April was auciently observed
in Britain as a high and general festival, in
which an unbounded hilarity rcigned thro'
every order Of its inhabitants, for the sun
at that period Of the year entering into the
sign Aries the New Year, and with it the
season of rural sports and vcrna delight
was then supposed to have commenced.
The proof Of the great antiquity Of the OH
servance of this annual festival as well as
the probability Of its original establishment
W "'l fNoititl' ifblOI dllStS iFbill uNlTbnbnil-
cal evidences, although the reformation oI
the year by the Julian and Gregorian cal
endars, and the adaptation of the period oC
its commencement to a different and iur
nobler system Of theology have oc,asjoned
the festival sports ancicntly celebrated in
England on the first Of April TO have long
since ceased, and although the changes oc-
casioned through long lapse of years by
theshifting of the equinoctial points, havein
Asia itself been productive of important
alterations n to the exact era of the COM
menceiAent of the year, yet ON both conti-
nents some very remarkable traits OF the
mirth and hilarity which then reigned re-
main even in these distant times. or those
preserved in Britain none of the least re-
markable or ludicrous is that relic of ita
pristine pleasantly, tho general practice OF
making April Fools on the first day OF
April. But this proves to have been an i'm
memorial custom among the Hindoos at n
celebrated festival holden about the same
period in India, which is called the Hui
Festival. During the Hull, when mirih and
festivity reign among the Hindoos of every
class, one subject of diversion is to send
people on errands and expeditions that are
to end in disappointment, and raise u laugh
at the expense of the person sent. The
Hull is always in March, and the last day
is the general holiday. The English Gus
tom is confined to the lower class but i'm
India high and low join in it, and the late,
Surajah Douah was very fond OF making
Hull Fools, although he WAS a Musselman
of the highest rank. In India the Joke is
carried so far rs to send letters making ar,-
pointments in the names OF persons known
to be absent from their house and the laugh
is always in proportion TO the trouble Civ
en-" The boundless mirth and hilariy
prevalent in England ON the first day Of
April, and during the Hull Festival in In
dia, would seem to indicate their origin in
the ancient practice of celebrating with ies-
tival rites the period of the Vernnl Equi-
noX.
We conclude by quoting the following
| lines from Poor Robins Almanac for 1873.
in relation to the tricks practiced on the first
| day Of April:
| "No sooner doth 81. An-fools morn approach
But wags eer Phobus mount his gilded coach
In phoes assemble to employ their
In sending fools to get intelligence.
One seeks hens teeth in farhert part Of tn town,
| Another pigeons milk third gown
From strolng cobblers stall, left there BY chance,
They lead the giddy tribe a merry dance,
And To reward them for their harmless ton,
The cobbler 'Doints their Inhs With stirTup Oh:
Thus by contrivers inAdyertent jest
one fool exposed makes pastfrns for the rest"