Thursday, or Thereabouts - April 1, 2016

April Fools!



I loathed this day when I was a child. There was no fun in having my name, April, associated with 'fool'. No matter how hard I tried, how brave a face I began the day with, I always ended up feeling every bit a despicable fool.


Every year in primary school, the day brought me only tears which then evoked more teasing - "Cry baby!"


The only escape from this annual day of dread came when April 1st fell on the weekend, and those even less frequent years when the date was eclipsed by Good Friday or Easter Monday. I survived of course. I'm happy to report that except for the briefest of stings in my depths, gone is the great anxiety that used to accompany the day. Now when April Fools' Day comes around, a smile creases my face and I owe that to my sister Cathy.




I was 11 on April Fools' Day 1965 and though the teasing of the early school years had ceased, the day still filled me with apprehension. But for my little sister it was a fabulous day of laughter and fun.

At the supper table that night the chirpy five year old regaled the family with jokes half-remembered from her kindergarten class. Grinning from ear to ear, eager anticipation bouncing through her body, she asked, "When is Cathy Fools' Day?"

There was silence for a moment before snorts of derision erupted around the table. Her little face went blank then a giggle emerged, but only because we were laughing.

I recall Mom was the exception to the laughter.  A smile creased her face but it was quickly covered by a paper napkin into which she coughed. Composure regained, she put her hand on Cathy's, "You know dear, April Fool's Day is not about your sister at all."

All the gentleness and sincerity was lost on Cathy. How could it not be about her sister April? No amount of explanation satisfied the little one. And so it came to pass that the First Monday in May 1965 was proclaimed "Cathy Fools' Day" by Mom's authority. Cathy skipped off to school that day full of tricks, homemade jokes - as only a five year old can make them - and a note from Mom explaining the holiday.

Giggles trump tears.

                      Happy memories soothe bruises.

Love conquers all.

Oh and it really is Friday
       - a good day to check on my spaghetti trees...

©2016 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - April 1, 2013

April Fools Day - God how I loathed this day when I was a child. There was no fun in having my name, April, associated with 'fool'. No matter how hard I tried, how brave a face I began the day with, I always ended up feeling every bit a despicable fool.

The only escape from this annual day of dread came when April 1st fell on the weekend, and those even less frequent years when the date was consumed by Good Friday or Easter Monday. I survived of course. I'm happy to report that except for the briefest of twinges in my depths, gone is the great anxiety that used to accompany the day. There is no need for me to expend great gobs of energy steeling myself against pranksters.

 And besides, Today is Easter Monday! Today is a good April Fools Day.

Checking out the BBC this morning, I was reminded of one of the most famous pranks of all. On April 1, 1957 they aired a piece about the spaghetti harvest in Switzerland. It was narrated by one of those quintessentially sincere BBC voices. A lot of people embarked on fool's errands in search of spaghetti seeds, cuttings, and plants; some were very irate to discover their folly.

I recall watching the clip with my folks and my Dad becoming almost apoplectic with laughter. For years afterwards, there were frequent references in our house to spaghetti trees always accompanied by great chortling. I have chuckled and grinned my way through much this April Fools Day buoyed by this one fabulous story and memory.

Here's to spaghetti trees everywhere!
God bless the BBC.