The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-31
TODAY WE cELEBRATE%
april FOOL"

The pocketbook nailed to the side.
walk. the hat encasing a brick, the
non-existent airship in the skies, the
bootleSs errand in search of the i'm
possible-these and many other tricks
and stratagems ind practical and i'm
practical jokes. ancient and modern,
are being cogitated today by many
youth bent upon proper observance
of the morrow's Festival Of Fools.
Beware, then, and do not say we have
not warned you!
It is not too much to claim for All
Fools Day that it fills a universal
need OF human nature. We are
mostly fools,' said Carlyle. The
fools festival should begin on the
first of January and end on the last
day of December. according to Dean
Swift. "Oh, noble fool! A worthy
fool! Motley's the only wear! So
of that same-you understand me-
a speck of the motley" wrote Charles
Lamb. "Beshrew the man who on
such a day as this, the only general
festival, should affect to stand aloof."
Even the mighty Voltaire wrote In
praise of those "poissons d'Avril"
who figure in the celebration of the
ancient French festival OF All Fools.
Plutarch notes as old Roman feast
6lIl1LldG " OuL L4OuSIh III Vi ADTlI.
For countless centuries the Hendoos
have had, in their Hula, celebration
exactly similar.
1t Is appropriate that April should
be chosen for this observance, for it
is a month that makes fools of all
of US, being hot when we expect it
to be cold and cold when we expect
1t to be hot, and making a jest of all
our best efforts to provide ramient
suited to the weather.
or all the tests perpetrated on this
day, perhaps the oldest is for the
joker to send the victim on a sleeve
less errand. In ancient India. as we'll
as in France, England, Scotland, Ire-
land and America this is the classic
hoax. The small boy. at the instance
OF an older companion or brother.
stands for hours before a statue, ex.
pecting 1t to descend. or wanders
weary miles in search of en- auger
that will bore square hole, or to
many book stores in quest OF THE
History of Ewes Grandmother" Or
perhaps 1t Is pigeons milk that he
seeks.
Many a man and boy vii! go about
tomorrow with april Fool placarded
on his back-as his ancestors did be.
fore him. You may be told that you
have something on your coas-a but.
SoAs VA SoIhStiIlti5 oh SObk
your nose. These jests are hoary with
age. but they seldom fail to claim
their victims.
In New York the business man. re.
turning to his Office, will be told TO
call a certain number and ask for Mr..
Fish, and will discover. when his com.
panions chortle with glee. that he has
been connected with the aquarium
This is considered overwhelmingly
funny.
In Scotland the April Fool victim
is called "gowk," and in France he
is referred to as on April Fish" In
Italy newspapers of Rome and other
cities print the most astounding news
on the first of April, and the Italian
believes nothing he reads on that day.
Practically all of the countries of
Europe observe the first of April as
the feast of folly. but in Portugal the
Monday preceding Lent has been
chosen as the day for perpetrating
practical jokes.
Antiquaries have been unable to
trace the April festival to its source.
and 1t appears to have been observed
Since long before Christian era.