Amy's Place .. Poetry and Potpourri .. Mar.31 - Apr. 1, 2004

3-31-04 | JustAmy, St.Louie1 and Mama_Bear

[OESY]

THE PRANK

Two snacks upon the table,
one for sister, one for me.
I think it's time I went on
a little eating spree.

I gobble hers, then swallow mine,
and it will make me glad,
to be the one for change,
making someone mad.

Chunky, crunchy, grainy, gritty,
a little hard to chew,
these snacks have made my breathe
smell like a trash can or a shoe.

My sister comes into the room.
I'm prepared if she attacks.
Instead, she laughs at me, and says
"You just ate doggy snacks!"

THE MORALE

Some days you're the dog.
And some days you're the hydrant.

THE WITTISM

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are
the other 364 days of the year. " - American humorist Mark Twain

THE CHALLENGE

To post a better prank. Here's another for starters:

Sunset on Italian Hills

Why is it that people try to make fools of each other on April 1?

As with many of the traditions we've inherited from one set of ancestors or another, historians don't know the exact origins of April Fools' Day, but it dates back to at least 1582. That was the year Pope Gregory XIII reformed Julius Caesar's calendar to realign it with the natural year.

Pope Gregory's most significant reforms had to do with getting rid of the extra leap days that had accumulated and devising a more precise formula for future leap years. But he also changed the date of the New Year back to Julius Caesar's original January 1. Christians had been celebrating the New Year on March 25 as part of their Feast of the Annunciation, and their New Year's activities lasted for a week, culminating on April 1. To common folk, habit and tradition seemed more real than a calendar that could be changed by a Pope, so some clung stubbornly to their March 25-April 1 celebrations.

According to folklorists, the people who resisted the change — or forgot about it — became likely targets for practical jokes. They were the original April Fools, who were limited to parts of Europe at first because only some European Catholics adopted the Gregorian calendar right away.

The English didn't adopt Pope Gregory's changes until 1752. By that time, everyone had forgotten why April 1 was April Fools' Day, as evidenced by a 1760 poem in Poor Robin's Almanack:

"The first of April, some do say,
Is set apart for All Fools' Day,
But why the people call it so,
Nor I nor they themselves do know."

If the English were confused, their American colonists had even less of a notion about why they should try to fool each other on April 1. But the practical jokes that had become the mainstay of April Fools' traditions must have been appealing to winter weary New Englanders because even after a revolution and two hundred plus years, people are still April Fooling each other.

Happy April Fool's Day!

[OESY]

THE PRANK

Two snacks upon the table,
one for sister, one for me.
I think it's time I went on
a little eating spree.

I gobble hers, then swallow mine,
and it will make me glad,
to be the one for change,
making someone mad.

Chunky, crunchy, grainy, gritty,
a little hard to chew,
these snacks have made my breathe
smell like a trash can or a shoe.

My sister comes into the room.
I'm prepared if she attacks.
Instead, she laughs at me, and says
"You just ate doggy snacks!"

THE MORALE

Some days you're the dog.
And some days you're the hydrant.

THE WITTISM

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are
the other 364 days of the year. " - American humorist Mark Twain

THE CHALLENGE

To post a better prank. Here's another for starters:

Sunset on Italian Hills

Why is it that people try to make fools of each other on April 1?

As with many of the traditions we've inherited from one set of ancestors or another, historians don't know the exact origins of April Fools' Day, but it dates back to at least 1582. That was the year Pope Gregory XIII reformed Julius Caesar's calendar to realign it with the natural year.

Pope Gregory's most significant reforms had to do with getting rid of the extra leap days that had accumulated and devising a more precise formula for future leap years. But he also changed the date of the New Year back to Julius Caesar's original January 1. Christians had been celebrating the New Year on March 25 as part of their Feast of the Annunciation, and their New Year's activities lasted for a week, culminating on April 1. To common folk, habit and tradition seemed more real than a calendar that could be changed by a Pope, so some clung stubbornly to their March 25-April 1 celebrations.

According to folklorists, the people who resisted the change — or forgot about it — became likely targets for practical jokes. They were the original April Fools, who were limited to parts of Europe at first because only some European Catholics adopted the Gregorian calendar right away.

The English didn't adopt Pope Gregory's changes until 1752. By that time, everyone had forgotten why April 1 was April Fools' Day, as evidenced by a 1760 poem in Poor Robin's Almanack:

"The first of April, some do say,
Is set apart for All Fools' Day,
But why the people call it so,
Nor I nor they themselves do know."

If the English were confused, their American colonists had even less of a notion about why they should try to fool each other on April 1. But the practical jokes that had become the mainstay of April Fools' traditions must have been appealing to winter weary New Englanders because even after a revolution and two hundred plus years, people are still April Fooling each other.

Happy April Fool's Day!

[OESY]

Drats! Sorry about the double-post.

[MeekOneGOP]

#84-85: LOL !

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks. You have a lovely day, too ! ;^)

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

I didn't do anything to it, I logged on okay last nite. Hmmmm, wonder what goblin has been on the home pc? Oh, and good morning and happy April Fools Day!

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Awwww, shucks, I ain't no hot stuff, but I'll listen to the song.

[Billie]

This is too cute, Amy.

Please don't tell JustFrank, but I have a secret crush on him. :)

And don't tell the wolfie either. He thinks I.M. Looney's his only competition for all the ladies' hearts. :)

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

*chuckle* Nice Poem and graphic.

[Billie]

Oh, this is beautiful! I love the butterfly poem, Bob, and the graphic to illustrate it is exquisite!

[Billie]

What an awesome photograph of Old Glory! Is that flying in your yard, hookman?

[Billie]

LOL! Excellent April Fool's post! Such cute graphics, too!

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Yeah, but wait till she's done, what a surprise that will be!...

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Beautiful photo and poem. I like the way the sun is in that photo.

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Awesome... *now I want to cry*

[OESY]

Thanks. I posted them myself.

Thanks. I posted them myself.

[Billie]

Thanks. I posted them myself.

Thanks. I posted them myself.

And BOTH of them were fun.

Yes, they were.

Yes, they were.

:)

[Billie]

Good morning and Happy April First. :)

[Mama_Bear]

Good morning and thank you PAL and Billie for the compliments on my graphic.....and, of course, Amy too. You are always so appreciative of my contributions. :-)

Very nice poem this morning NicknamedBob. As a poetically challenged FReeper, I truly admire your talent.

I've been having terrible computer problems, so I better get this posted before I crash again (for the fifth time this morning!).

My husband is going to re-install Windows XP on my machine today, I am hoping that will solve the problem.

Have a wonderful day, y'all.

[Darksheare]

Thank you and welcome.