All Fools’ Day, all year round; no getting away
THE FIRST OF APRIL IS THE DAY WE REMEMBER WHAT WE ARE THE OTHER 364 DAYS OF THE YEAR
It’s April 1 again, the day of light-hearted shenanigans, our licence to play pranks and spread hoaxes. The origin of All Fools’ Day is uncertain but is believed to be either in the merriment related to seasonal change or in the celebration of switching to a new calendar in ancient cultures.
Another explanation of its origin dates back to the reign of Roman emperor Constantine in the fourth century, when a court jester was allowed to be king for a day and he passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day, making it an annual event. But who cares about the whys and hows of a day that munificently lets us make a fool of someone or become a fool for the sake of spreading cheer.
My memory of the fools’ festival dates back to the time when childhood was still unadulterated and being silly came naturally. The plotting and planning to trick people began days in advance. Soap pieces were fashioned into different shapes painstakingly and enclosed meticulously in empty candy wrappers. Then one’s dramatics skills were put to test, as it took a genuinely straight face to convince an unsuspecting sibling or friend to open the phony sweet. And what a joy it was to shout “April Fool” when a gullible victim was ‘honey’-trapped.
The most inane attempt at fooling someone was by telling classmates that the principal or teacher has summoned them. Another common prank, thanks to the archaic landline telephone, was picking up the handset and making a family member believe there was a call for him or her. Even radio, television, and newspapers played practical jokes on their unwary viewers, listeners, and readers, respectively. A famous BBC prank from 1957 involved running a film ‘Swiss Spaghetti Harvest’, showing Swiss farmers picking freshly grown spaghetti. British Broadcasting Corporation declared it a hoax, later, but not before being flooded with purchase requests for spaghetti plants.
The advent of the internet and numerous social-media platforms may enable tomfoolery to hoodwink a larger audience but the charm of personal banter is lost. We have become either self-centred or immune to being tricked, after being subjected to pranks online every day. The present times justify Mark Twain’s saying that: “The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” How candidly we are conned into believing that the urea-laced milk, carbide-injected fruits, and fertiliser-infested vegetables make for a healthy and nutritious diet.
With conviction, we get duped into paying the school a hefty fee, while our children get their education in private tuition classes. The diligent taxpayer is taken for a ride on a potholed road. A citizen’s faith in Parliament, highest pedestal of democracy. is shaken by the bickering of elected and selected representatives. We are enchanted by the consummately wrapped “achhe din” candy offered to us but too afraid to unwrap it, lest someone shouts “April Fool”.
It’s better to have a day designated for fooling around than being fooled every day. However, my personal favourite is this quote: “The world is full of fools; and who would not wish to see one must not only shut himself up alone but also break his looking glass.”