The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-31
THE HISTORY OF
THE APRIL FOOL.
Peter the Great Enjoyed the Little
Game in Russia as we Enjoy 1t
To-day.

OF all the holidays and days Of merry
making to which custom has aecorueu
observance by the people OF dlHerenl
nations, there is none more UNIQUE IN
its general character than All = oO19
Dav- This day, as everyone knows
comes on the first of April, ana Is con on
secrated 10 the practice of innocent m
pastures and ridiculous jokes upon IN
thinking persons who happen TO cotiIe
in contact with .heartless testers out lOl
amusement. =.
not known and there are many con
hicting records of it's first observance
Among European countries loWSNsI'
the day was originally given IT'S chaI-
acter in France. In 1864 New ear
Dav was changed from April to Jan
/ and as New Years had therefore
been celebrated in France with eIap-
crate festivities, the date, though no
longer a church holiday, was fixed IN
the ,,opular calendar, and, perhaps, like
a discarded hat or castaWay palf Oh
trousers. was turned to humorous &C
rollnt The day was gradually given 4
now character nearly the opposite OF
+ba+ which ii formerly held as seE7i-
RELIGIOUS occasion. From being udS
of soIemnity it became one OF inlr ,st,
serious thoughts gave way 10 ITIVOll1S
at that season -;
gin of the French custom, ana many
s1Ifhorfties trace the observance OF the
dav to the Roman FeStun emf 10 -
pagan festivities falling gradually r'''
A celebrated authority who has de-
voted a great deal of time 70 the la 159
of discovering the origin OF Aprn 30 '-,.S,
Dav. says that from time llnIaelillo, "a
the day has had it's present cnafd ace;
in India where it is called lhe n u
festival Instead of April j, tnousn, -
is celebrated March 81, just day pS
fore And in Persia, many cent -
O
the period of the vernai equliloA' 80
Persian new year beginning On ei0'
date ~. r--ao+
was the first to introduce ApIl1 20 Z - a.,
Day. He erected in the year 1.A9 a.
immense pile of wood and timber gar r
nished with tar and other lnhamInaple
substances on an open square III LIoll'
of his own palace IN 81 ee 'l, - :,
and set it on fire early in the morning
of April l. St. Petersburg at that llllle
was a new city and the Russians were
more than proud of 1t ana the srS9O
ralace which was a triumph IN arcIi-
lecture even for those days soon the
1-eDort was spread that the palace was
on fire a rumOr which was specify
followed by a great rush of people from
all sides, who, maddened with the
thought of having their finest bulldlnS
DESTROYED. hurried to the scene to help
extinguish the flames. Some OF the
peasants travelled miles in their slelghs
to help put out the fire When hnally
they reached the seat of the conhagra-
ton. they were met by troops forming
a care at the square, crying, Mutton
heads end donkeys, fall back, by the
order of the Car, fall back Can't you
understand that the Little Father has
fooled you? 1t is the first of April to-
day"
It can be readily=understood how the
Car of all the Russias could practise
such a joke upon. his subjects with i'm
punitv, but such a caper instigated by
a person of less power and influence
would have resulted in a lifetine's res
idence in Siberia.
Historians tell US that the stage, too
is in a measure responsible for AL
Fools Day. They say that it grew out
of an old Easter miracle play in which