Evening star., 1937-04-01

1T ALSO appears to more or less
generally accepted that the first
country to really ''set the ate" was
France. This nation led Christendom
in commencing the new year on jan
uary l, instead of March Is. Before
the change was made the New Year
festivities eliminated on April l, when
visit were made, and gifts presented
to friends and relatives. With the
reformed calendar, and New Year day
carried back to January l, burlesqueS
were made of former ceremonies on
April first, as a joke on those who
might have forgotten the change.
In character, at least, April Fool day
is said to resemble the Roman Sa-
turnalia, when Caius and ManliuS and
others bent their wits to fooling each
other. There was also the medieval
feast Of fools, at which the heights
of absurdity were reached There is,
in Hindustan, the Feast of Hull, which
eliminates on March 81, and at
which it is the custom to send people
on errands and expedition that are
so arranged that the "sendee" viii be
surely disappointed. This is certainly
a close cousin of some of our present.
day pranks!
The English, very likely, borrowed
their April fooling ideas from the
French, and delighted in sending peo-
pie upon what they called sleeve
less errands s'-and in roaring with
laughter at their confusion after
ward For instance, an ignorant rus
tic would be told to apply at the
village bookstore for a History OF
Ewes Grandmother" at the grocer's
for a pin. of pigeons milk; at the
cobbier's for strap-oil; at the butchers
for hens teeth; or to Hunt the
Gowk"-which was done by send
ing some poor dolt with letter to
one acting as confederate OF the
"fooler," who in turn sent hir' on to
another wag, who passed him on to
a third, etc, until the victim suspected
the trick, or some kindly soul told
hLl about it
A Ii of this is closely akin to our
own idiotic customs of telling
trusting soul to call certain number
and ask for Mr.. Lyon-the number, of
course, being that of the Zoo tele-
phone. In the old days they had april
Fool candy" just as We do now, made
then of gun cotton and cayenne pep
per-nowadays it mostly soap; the
boys put bricks under hats for the
unWary toe to discover, and the pocket
book tied -to-a string trick seems to be
one of the oldest on record.
In 1860 one of the prize Jokes was
perpetrated In London. A group of
tricksters put their heads together,
and toward the latter part Of March
many prominent personages received
through the mail the following invita-
tion bearing the stamp of an inverted
sixpence on one of its corners for Of
ficial effect:
Tower of London-Admit bearer
and friend to view annual ceremony
of washing the white lions on Sum-
day, April l. Adnittance only at white
gate. 1t is particularly requested that
no gratuities be given to wardens or
attendants"
Sunday morning a succession of cabs
and carriages ratified around Tower
Hill for hours, greatly disturbing the
Sabbath peace and quiet of the neigh
borhood, in vain attempt to discover
the white gate!
So-if your child has told you in
Mortified tone that you have SCOT on
your nose at the precise moment when
you are farthest from mirror, or If
the hens of your dress and slip have
been stuck together with rows of pins
during the night-don't be too cross
just remember that you are just an
other in an ancient and honorable line
of Fools