[Loch-Ruadh] Today in History April 1

STEVE K ROURKE SROURKE at prodigy.net
Tue Apr 2 14:40:50 PST 2002


Because the French are strange, what other reason could there be???? (shrugs
shoulders) However in the interest of providing information I have copied
and pasted some of the more pertainate reasons. (I tell you the French ARE
STRANGE!!!!) :)

Dohmnall

The tradition of the 1 er April goes back to 1564, and it is Charles IX who
of it is the person in charge. I tell you how all that started.

Charles IX had made appear an ordinance fixing the first day of the year at
the beginning of January instead of 1 er April, date which marked the
beginning of the year for a long time. Of course, that caused reactions:
some agreed for the change, of the young people for the majority who had not
known better... [ laughter ] , but there were protestors, in general older
people... Taken in influenza by holding of the change, these "conservatives"
then started to receive fish behind the head - a little advanced the fish...
A nasty trick to be played to them, to some extent. And it is what gave rise
to the tradition of fish of April, which is today only one pleasant excuse
to play a turn with somebody.

I always thought that the year should begin the 1 er April, because the year
begins truly with spring, symbol of return, of rebirth. To make it start
with the apparent death of nature, Charles IX was to have reasons which,
still, exceed me.


Indeed, in 1564, one decided that the year would not begin any more it March
25, but it 1 er January. Up to that point, the gifts of the New Year's Day
were exchanged towards the end of March. Then, according to the historians,
it 1 er April became one day devoted to the visits between friends. One
brought sometimes small gifts, question of sowing the doubt about the real
date of the New Year's Day...

Why not "elephants of April" instead of "fish of April"? Not, it is not
because it is less difficult to trace and to cut out! -) It is rather
because the beginning of April corresponds at the end of the Lent among
Christians. The Lent is one period of abstinence during which one does not
eat meat. The meat is often replaced by fish.





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