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The origins of April Fool’s Day
Pastor Arnie Wyllie
South Peace News
The origin of April Fool’s Day is obscure.
In many pre-Christian cultures, May Day, or May 1, was celebrated (as a festival) as the first day of summer, and signaled the start of the spring planting season. An April Fool was someone who did this prematurely.
In the eighteenth century the festival was often thought of as going back to the times of Noah and the Biblical flood. An English newspaper article published on April 13, 1789 said that the day had its origins when Noah sent the raven off too early, before the waters had receded. He did this on the first day of the Hebrew month that corresponds with April.
A possible reference to April Fool’s Day can be seen in the Canterbury Tales in the Nun’s Priest’s tale, a tale of two fools: Chanticleer and the fox, which took place March 32. April Fool’s Day is observed throughout the Western world. Practices include sending someone on a “fool’s errand,” looking for things that do not exist; playing pranks; and trying to get people to believe ridiculous things.
There are others who have this to say concerning fools.
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” (Abraham Lincoln)
“Never argue with a fool. Someone watching may not be able to tell the difference.” (Anonymous)
“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” (Plato)
“He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” (Chinese proverb)
“No one would be foolish enough to choose war over peace. In peace sons bury their fathers, but in war fathers bury their sons.” (Croesus of Lydia)
“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)
Jim Elliot was an evangelical Christian missionary in Ecuador, South America, who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Waodani people. Elliot’s journal entry for Oct. 28, 1949, contains his now famous quotation, expressing his belief that Christian missions work was more important than his life.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Elliot was referring to the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. We cannot keep the Good News to ourselves and we cannot lose the Good News of Jesus.
The Bible has this to say concerning fools: “When disagreeing with fools, do not answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are.” (Proverbs 26:4)
An atheist created a case against the Easter and Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was, “It was unfair that atheists had no such recognized special day.”
The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, “Case dismissed!”
The lawyer, objecting to the ruling said, “Your honour, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas and Easter. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah. Yet my client and all other atheists have no such special days.”
“But atheists do have a special day,” said the judge. “Your client is unhappily uninformed.”
The lawyer was not finished.
“Your Honor, we are unaware of any special day or holiday for atheists.”
To that the judge replied, “The calendar shows April 1 as ‘April Fool’s Day.’ In the Bible, Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1 both state: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God. Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1 is his day. Court is adjourned."
Psalms 41:1 and 53:1 both proclaim the foolishness of atheism. People may say, “There is no God,” in order to cover up their sin or to have an excuse to continue to sin.
Fools do not necessarily lack intelligence. Many atheists and unbelievers are highly educated. Fools are people who intentionally reject God - the only One who can save them.
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