I'm all in on traditions, but..
Every year on April 1st, the world collectively seem to agree that lying is hilarious. April Fools’ Day, is the one time when pranks and hoaxes seem not only tolerated but encouraged. Meanwhile they inflict mild to severe trauma with the recipients.
I admit to be all in on traditions. I love Christmas, New Years, Easter, Midsummer (a Scandi thing) and so on. But one tradition that I really wish for to drop dead on the spot is April Fools' Day.
Never liked it, never will.
Even worse, where I come from this stupidity of a tradition always continued in May. A total but why, every single year during my childhood years.
Neither do I like the cringy attempts to joke around which can be seen on a yearly basis on some of the horsey sites I frequently visit. It is all so cringe.
What I do like is both history and research, so I dug around a bit and found some genius pranks in history.
Already back in 1742, there was a false "April notice" circulating in a country side parish. The notice claimed that the Sunday service would start earlier than usual. The congregation was not amused.
To me it sounds a lot like my time management during the yearly implementation of the daylight saving time. But considering the actual time stamp on this joke, I do find it kind of brilliant.
Another alleged prank is one of the earliest recorded pranks bringing media into the equation. This dates back to 1846 when the Evening Standard in London ran an ad inviting people to an exclusive donkey exhibition on the outskirts of the city.
The curious crowds did not find any donkeys, but came to the realisation they were considered to be the donkeys. Since my own life goal often include the dream of having my own donkey farm I for sure would have fallen for this. A good try but NO.
In 1911, a magazine reported that the 1912 Olympic Games would kick off with a grand parade., and not any kind of parade. No this parade would be featuring 600 elephants, generously on loan by the Raja of Rajapur.
The first 50 elephants would even carry a full orchestra playing national anthems, while the rest would be led by mahouts shouting “Lirpa, lirpa.”
I rest my case!
ps. today it is 268 days left till Christmas..
