Can we really be a quarter of the way through 2007 already, though? Well, computer says yes, and so does the calendar, believe it or not. Many did not, it seems, in the second half of the sixteenth century in France. That was when Charles IX declared that his realm should in future keep the Gregorian calendar, and the date for the start of a new year should be moved from around the beginning of Spring to the middle of winter, i.e to January 1st. Folk who continued to observe the old celebrations on the first of April however became known as "April Fools"- or for some bizarre reason only the French can account for I guess, as 'April Fish' "Poissons d'Avril".
Well, whether the custom began with the French or not is open to question; Wikipedia, my source for the above account, mentions many of the traditions ancient and modern which have made "All Fools Day" a popular day for hoaxers and jokesters all over the world- one reason why the on-line encyclopaedia's team limit editing of the "April Fool's Day" entry to established users on this day- in case people are led even further astray by reading untruths than they have been already.
Come to think of it, I could even have tried to fool you by saying this was the reason for a lack of postings from me since the end of 2006- i.e that this is really my New Year's Day blog,and follows on from the previous one headed "New Year's Heave". But I don't think I'd get away with that one, particularly as it's now well past mid-day in the UK. In Britain, at least strictly speaking, it's April Fool's Half-Day: any attempts at perpetrating a prank after the sun is directly overhead today supposedly backfire on the would-be fooler: "April Fool is dead and gone, but the rest can carry on".
Nevertheless, I love April Fool's Day- as long as nobody catches me out and I become the victim. When I worked in the catering industry, I should have known that some of my colleagues were being unusually kind in making my morning break drink for me; supposedly a cup of tea, it actually included coffee, cocoa powder and the savoury substance Marmite as well, all in the same mug. Yuk! Much as I love Marmite, this particular fool did not amuse my tastebuds.
I also couldn't wait to see what pranks the British press and their online editions were attempting to palm us off with today- April 1st is also Palm Sunday this year, of which more later. According to The Observer, Britain's oldest Sunday newspaper and not inclined to the regular truthless ways of the "redtops", Tony Blair is to take up a new career on the stage when he retires as Prime Minister sometime this year.
The story goes on to say that so impressed was the director of the Old Vic theatre company in London, Kevin Spacey, that he offered Blair an important role in an upcoming run of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". Oh yeah, right, along with the guest starring role in an Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special? Tony might have suprised many viewers with his performance in a recent comedy sketch alongside catchphrase queen Catherine Tate in her role as the schoolgirl with attitude, Loren, but really, whether this is true or not (come on, do us a favour!) as Blair said in his Comic Relief cameo," I ain't bovvered!"
On the other hand, I think Samuel Langhorn Clemens, or should I say Mark Twain, had it right when he gave his verdict on this day:
April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.
He was a wise man, was Tom Sawyer's creator. The world's foolishness has continued much as it always has since I last wrote, day after day. Man's inhumanity to man astounds with its incredible awfulness, warring factions bring grief to thousands of innocent families caught up in their petty or long-standing fights, and our obsession with using and abusing the limited resources of planet Earth have made it a rare day when global warming did not make the headlines.
Meanwhile, in Britain trust in the media has taken a tumble, with revelations of numerous scams on premium-rate phone line quizzes on TV and umbrage has even been taken as Songs of Praise was forced to admit next Sunday's Easter Day special was recorded immediately after an Advent service last November, with false lighting and unseasonal clothing, to save money. It's proving harder and harder to know what is the truth these days, and what is pure fiction or fantasy. And politicians seem to be among the least trusted of any group in our apparently democratic society, with the ongoing scandal of "votes for honours" and even the PM himself interviewed by police.
But is there anything new in the folly of the ways of man? Last weekend, Britain commemorated the 200th anniversary of the passing of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act in the UK parliament, and the sickening conditions that free-born human beings were subjected to.
Here at least was something to celebrate, wasn't there? Maybe- but it wasn't to everybody's tastes and Tuesday saw an African disrupt a national service of commemoration in Westminster Abbey in front of the Queen brought to an embarrasing unscheduled break by an African demonstrator making a non-violent but very public protest indeed at what he deems the hypocrisy of attempts to offer an apology on behalf of the nation to the outrage of the slave trade. On the other side of the Irish Sea, meanwhile, last Monday brought a scene many thought could never be seen: firebrand Ulster Unionist veteran Rev Dr Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein's leader, Gerry Adams, sitting next to each other round the same table. It is to be hoped that their historic agreement truly is an answer to the prayer of centuries, but it would be a fool that pretends there won't be difficulties and setbacks along the way.
April Fool's Day this year also falls (pun intended!) on Palm Sunday. This is the commemoration of the week when the folly of humanity was revealed for what it really is, but God's forgiveness of the world he loves so dearly was made most evident. Palm Sunday starts Holy Week, the most solemn and yet moving event on the Christian calendar. Today commemorates the 'triumphal' entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, where he was greeted by Jews of every age as their king, come to overturn the oppression of Roman occupation and to bring them deliverance. Hearts were full of hope and the air was resounding with "Hosannas" and the cheers and greetings of devoted followers.
Five days later, all of those devoted followers had left Jesus of Nazareth, whom billions believe was God in human form, to his fate in a cold Jerusalem garden on the darkest night in human history. The next day, only a helpless, some would say foolish, few followers were there to see him crucified mercilessly on a crude Roman cross the most ignoble of deaths. The people of God were allowing the one they had only recently lauded -and who, believers say, is our one true hope for humanity- to be slaughtered. Could anything more foolish have ever been witnessed?
Yet this was God's way; the "foolishness" of God is greater than man's wisdom. There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. So my emotions today, and that of all who believe Jesus is the best friend anyone can have, who never fools with us, are mixed. There is that nervous, uneasy laughter you have when you are trying to pretend that everything's all right in your world, but something fearful is about to happen. There is joy and the shared experience of the Palm Sunday procession and worship-but there is the recognition that without the salvation of Good Friday and the merciful miracle of Easter Day, life itself is a foolish thing. These foolish things, this year, remind me of Him, our saviour Jesus Christ the holy 'fool' who died for all. Will you bring your own mistakes and foolish behaviour to him this holy week, knowing you're forgiven? I know I will, with tears of both laughter and sorrow.
