The morning times., 1896-04-01
DAY WHEN I'LL IRE FOOLS
Curious Customs Of April | Lost
in Antiquity.
HINDooS OBSERVE THEM
Research, However, Has Failed to
Locate the Origin of the Day or
TO Ascribe II Cause to the Customs.
Some of the jokes sHonored by
Time. tt

If you are not Il fool lCday you ought
TO he just for the sake OF the proprieties OF
the season. To-Day the al ,Le-ycaI- round
fool need not feel specially lonesome,
either.
For, While there see m ssto oItAIeithermytho-
logical nor historical reason for it, but
mo re OF a reliance onpopularpUstCm, every
body is fool on A Fduis Day. And this
is it.
All Fools Day recurS with the same
regularity as Christmas and is really signi-
Iicanl of nothing. But thai makcsno differ
cnCc with the waegisHly ihciined person
who proposes 10 celebrate it. Jokes go
amd the uon't require very much OF u laSls.
The first day OF April, of al days in the
year, enjoys Il distinct character oflts own,
III as far il and il alone is Consecrated
to practical joking. Innocent impostures
are pcrpetrated with Il sort OF unlimited
license on unsuspecting neighhors on this
da Y, and kicks ale not supposed TO hc in 1t
al all. The gruffcst and COldcSt sort OF
person delights TO put some VICLlm III "a
lauEhablc position of ahsurtiity. Pranks
take on the features Of admirable creations
OF inventive minds in some cases, cNtenS1ve
hoaXes are Pcrpetrated on society, and it
takes a good one to tel where he really
i S at.
AN AN NlI>N Sbpl ~ M
The English have celebrated All Fools
Da V since time out of mind. The jokes there
are OF Il great variety, and are at once
c0mprchcndcd ana enjoyed, fer on account
of the date they can grasp the idea that 1t
is a joke in an hour or so.
Cotton pies, Anonymous correspondence
and Gccoy mcs gcs figure there as here
III the ccncI Ial Oh. ervance. The Scotch i'll
their va Y OF celebrating run to the method
OF sending the victim after mythical arti-
clcS, and then being sen { on by the person
addressed until man miles are walked unul
some mcrcirul person puts Sandy On 10 the
fact that it is April Fool he has been
chasing.
Ana mere in America and here in Wash
in gton there iS q lot CT tun extracted ont
OF the OCCa sion. To cnumerate all the
methods lay which innocent deCeptlOns are
brought would fc an impoSSihlity, and
though tEcy happen year after year, tie
one who assisted in TCClng Sc me one last
| year may be The very one to iall in the
| same trap This.
The literature OF the last century has
many references 10 April footing. bu, there
! are no illusions to il in the earlier Htcra-
| ture. AnliQuaricS have all signally failed
| 10 discover or point cut the origin of the
custom OF pla ylng tricks on April /.
HINDOOS Do IT.
For ages there has been custom among
| the Hindoos in their Hull, which terminates
! on the 31st OF March, to wind up the
| festival with certain ocular practices, the
! great aim of which is to send persons ava Y
! with messages TO IDEAL individuals or those
| sure TO be away from hon e, and enjoy u
| laugh AT their disappointment.
| We do the same things in this country
! at this late day, and il is just possible
that we get our ideas from those far away
| fakirs which we freely designate as pretty
| nearly no good. There is reason for
| nearly every hing, but actually and truly
there does not seem to be any very tangible
one for The many fictitious Great ious of All
Fools Day 81
But what difference does it make? Every
| body is supposed ia feel good on this day,
and this most probably wetstthc appetite
| for foundation for the ehuittiou of spirits
even though they be over trifleS thin as
air. April IS thcmarkcr Fthe time when
buds open, when their reproductive powers
OF nature are set goingiI aud when the east
| wind is less uncomfortable than in the
| month proceeding.