I recently picked up a copy of Relevant Magazine’s recent issue. I was attracted by the lead article on Bono the lead singer of U2. Inside I found an interesting piece on April Fool’s day. Since th origin of the day seems to be in question, I like Relevant’s speculation, even if it is foolish. It seems,
“In approximately 312 AD., a little-known said named Aprilius lived in Rome and was attributed a stream of strange miracles. St. Aprilius lived in a part of rome full of citizens that refused to convert to Christianity and prided themselves on being atheists.
On April 1 that year, when Constantine adopted Christianity as Rome’s official religion, reports flooded out of the entire neighborhood where St. Aprilius lived of practical hijinks that were unexplainable. Everyone but St. Aprilius woke up to find their furniture had been rearranged in the night; some found all their flour turned green; others complained of their shoes becoming both lefts; still others ran out of the houess with their hair replaced with chicken feathers. Over the doorway of each non-Christian’s house was a brand that read “Psalm 14:1” (“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God'”).
That day, nmore than 100 people came to St. Aprilius’ house to be converted. The tradition continued and spread each year. By 342 AD, April Fool’s Day became an official Christian celebration, a time of playing pranks on atheists and agnostics. Over the years, the Christian lore behind the holidays has all but been forgotten, but the pranks and jokes played on that day still symoblize the timeless biblical truth of the quoteable psalm.
For more on April Fool’s Day history, see page 193.” (REVELANT Magazine, p.010)
RELEVANT Magazine does not have a page 193 in the 7th Issue.
Oh, well, I thought it was as good a try as the unconfirmed notion of the change in calendar in France in 1582.