It seems that the potential origin of April fools and how it came about is tied to calendars. And the changing of them in fact, as one might a guard, but this was apparently around the time of the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian one we use now. Where they changed new year to be from 25th March, to the 1st of January. It is said that European towns would have a holiday thereafter, with the new year starting on the 1st April. And after that time of change, it seems it may have become a thing to ridicule people who did not want to, or would not adopt ‘the new way.
But that’s OK, because they seemed to use that good old tool of humiliation and public mockery, all in jest of course. But to make a fool of people who remained on the old system, gradually making everyone conform to a time. And it’s a ‘tradition’ that we still have today, but I hadn’t really given it thought over the years, instead just blindly following society with pre-set dates you must adhere to, but under the guise of ‘fun and celebration’ and for various reasons. But really they all now seem part of either a conditioning project, or a commercial enterprise, which in itself has always been a conditioning project to make us buy things. But there is very little gimmick attached to April Fools, no real merchandise I’m aware of other than some jokey things, and it’s only half a day, so not much is really put into it. Yet it remains, to laugh at the easily fooled, the gullible and naive. Or is it still there as a reminder, to not go against the grain for fear of humiliation, that for hundreds of years it could be immortalised as a ‘tradition’. And to bring out the slightly mean-spirited people who like to poke fun at, or make fun of others, to give them free reign with no recourse? Perhaps.
But it must have been quite a destabilising thing to do. When we are led to believe that not everyone was even running on the same time in neighbouring towns, but time, days and times of year get shifted. Almost a bigger version perhaps of them messing the with clocks twice a year. And lots of the world doesn’t, so you realise even today, with all our synchronised clocks and technology, many are running on different time. As people do personally as well to a shared clock. But some countries even run on a different year altogether, in Nepal for example its the 2080 on their Nepali Patro calendar.
There are 5 countries in all that haven’t taken on the Gregorian calendar it seems, Afghanistan and Iran, use the Solar Hijri calendar and its the year 1368. Ethiopia and Eritrea use the Ethiopian calendar in which it is 7 years behind, so they are technically in 2015. And Nepal as above. Strange isn’t it, that although taking part in shared calendar, still keeping your own time. I like it. And time is a very strange thing how they’ve divided it all up around the world as well as our days into time zones, sometime changing a number of times across one landmass or country. It’s mad really, flying or travelling into tomorrow, or yesterday, and by way of jetlag we deal with it although that is a strange feeling, as is the concept. We all just accept it though for what it is, and through what we are taught or learn, but I can’t help thinking it’s not quite as it seems…
