my mind begins to hum...

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:56 am

It has been suggested that Europe derived its April-fooling from the French.

France was one of the first nations to make January 1 officially
New Year's Day (which was already celebrated by many),
by decree of Charles IX.
This was in 1564, even before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar
(See Julian start of the year).
Thus the New Year's gifts and visits of felicitation
which had been the feature of the 1st of April
became associated with the first day of January,
and those who disliked or did not hear about the change were fair game
for those wits who amused themselves by sending mock presents
and paying calls
of pretended ceremony on the 1st of April

In France the person fooled is known as poisson d'avril.
This has been explained from the association of ideas
arising
from the fact that in April the sun quits
the zodiacal sign of the fish.
A far more natural explanation
would seem to be that the April fish would be a young fish
and therefore easily caught.
The French traditionally celebrated this holiday by placing dead fish
on the backs of friends.
Today the fish has been replaced with paper cut-out.

Lists of April Fool hoaxes

* April 1, 1999
* April 1, 2000
* April 1, 2002
* April 1, 2003
* April 1, 2004
* April 1, 2005
* April 1, 2006
* April 1, 2007
(cited from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_fools_day )

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:57 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:58 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:14 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:21 am

here's where she jumped on the horsee wrote:

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:26 am

i just had to go crazy and cut my hair

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:39 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:46 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:52 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:00 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:11 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:17 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:19 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:20 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:20 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:21 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:22 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:39 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:42 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:51 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:54 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:55 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:57 am

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:02 pm

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:14 pm

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:15 pm

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:19 pm

the fire elf · Post by **the fire elf** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:20 pm