April 1, 2005
The silly season
What is so special about April 1 that otherwise normal people do their best to make their nearest and dearest look stupid?
According to a special report by the BBC News, the origins of April Fool's Day are not very clear. But it seems safe to say that this eccentric festival is connected to the coming of spring.
"Ancient Romans and Celts celebrated a festival of practical joking and mischief making at about the time of the Vernal Equinox, as do millions of India's Hindus.
Even the French have taken this festival to their hearts calling it not April Fool's Day but rather poisson d'avril, or April fish.
One 19th century English commentator reasoned that its origins probably lay somewhere in human nature itself rather than being the invention of one tribe or civilisation.
"To find the practice so widely prevalent over the earth, and with so near a coincidence of day, seems to indicate that it has had a very early origin amongst mankind," he said.
The first April Fool go back to Noah's ark. More recently the tradition has found a new lease of life on the Internet."
Found this story via a link on a link in near near future, in reference to one of the best hoaxes in history.
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