April Fools' Day

Today is April Fools' Day, where people and other entities all over the world come together to play jokes on each other. The origins of the holiday are traced back to the time of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1392), where the Nun's Priest tells the tale of a cock being tricked by a fox. This is a result of readers mistaking the date 32 days after April to mean March 32nd, or April 1st. Precursors to April Fools' Day include the Roman feast of Hilaria and the medieval Festival of Fools, held on December 28th. There's also the report of a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on the date. Another possible origin of the holiday involves the celebration of the New Year on April 1st, those who celebrate the New Year on January 1st mocking those who celebrate it on April 1st as "April Fools." European countries celebrate the holiday by sticking fish on their friends' backs. Oddly enough, a similar joke playing holiday celebrated by Iranians is also held on April 1st and 2nd.

Regardless of the origin of the holiday, my sister Naomi went all out when playing pranks, such as asking me to trying blow up a balloon with a hole in it. I myself didn't play any jokes on anyone, aside from making a joke of my schoolwork. It took me until around 3:10 P.M. to finish my first subject, Geometry, and I was entirely unable to memorize any new Bible Quiz Verses. Fortunately, I was able to quote, as usual, and I'm ahead anyway.

Over on BZPower.com, their April Fools' Day joke was an announcement that the website had bought the LEGO Group. Funny, huh?

My review of The Help should be up soon. I finished watching the movie tonight.