No fooling...

Happy April Fools' Day! Don't worry--this blogger won't be playing any jokes on you here. I love holidays of all sorts, but this one in particular always makes me paranoid and uneasy. Probably because I present no challenge at all to anyone who wants to fool me! I'm easy pickin's, the sort who says "Really?" when someone tells me the word "gullible" isn't in the dictionary. (It is, and my picture should be there next to it).

According to Daily Life Online, one of our databases, the origins of April Fool's Day are obscure. I remember hearing it was because the new year used to be celebrated in April. When the western world adopted the Gregorian calendar and the year started on January 1, not everyone got the message. I guess those people who were still celebrating the new year on April 1 must have felt pretty foolish!

Another theory suggests the holiday started in commemoration of Noah sending out the first dove from the ark to check for land. Oops! No land yet! April Fool! Some people think the day evolved from the Roman festival of Cerealia (nothing to do with Rice Krispies), the Indian festival of the Huli, or celebrations of the vernal equinox. Another idea is that the day is simply inspired by the unpredictability of springtime weather--how many times have you felt punk'd by the forecast?

In any case, April Fool's Day seems to have come into common observance in Europe during the 18th century. Did you know an April Fool's victim in France is called a poisson d’avril-- an April Fish? Must be because they fall hook, line and sinker.

No joke though--I do want to tell you about a couple of things coming up. One is today's "Year Of" movie: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. As always, the film will be shown at 2 pm in the Funk Heritage Center. Remember, if you want a chance to win the Wii, you only have half a month left to enter the contest! Read any "Year Of" book or see any "Year Of" movie, write a review and send it to Karen at kp1@reinhardt.edu. Everyone who enters is eligible for the drawing, so get those entries in!

The college (and the library) will be closed tomorrow in observance of Good Friday. This Sunday morning at 7am will be the annual Easter sunrise service in the Gordy! I've attended this service in the past, and it is always very moving. Plus they feed you! It's worth getting out of bed.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Easter weekend! And please don't tell me my shoes are untied. I'll fall for it--and I'm wearing pumps today!

This is funny, though. And today's featured articles and news on Wikipedia are even funnier. Dude--there's a reason your profs won't let you use these sites for your research.