APRIL FOOLS’!
April 1, 2010
Filed under News, Top Stories
In modern times, with the secularization of western society, many people have long forgotten the historical background of the holidays and traditions which they celebrate. Still, even as people mindlessly carve pumpkins and eat colorful eggs, perhaps the one day most shrouded by the befuddlement of time is that of “April Fools’”. In response to the long standing confusion surrounding the significance of this day of whimsical shenanigans, this morning, the Vatican released a surprising statement clarifying that the tradition of April Fools’ Day is in fact, like Christmas, deeply intertwined with the life of Jesus Christ.
It all goes back to a sunny day on April 1st, 24 AD; only centuries after the great flood had killed off all of the dinosaurs. Jesus was outside with his twelve apostles, telling them stories, when he instructed Judas to close his eyes for a brief period. Judas followed Jesus’ command, and upon reopening his eyes, he was startled to see Jesus, with his thumb expertly placed between his index and middle fingers, claiming to have stolen Judas’ nose. Judas, without hesitation, fell for the prank and lunged towards Jesus to try to grab his nose back. This caused the other apostles to fall into a roaring laughter (particularly Bartholomew who was especially keen on physical comedy), suddenly making Judas realize his foolishness. Judas ran off out of embarrassment and swore that he would bring revenge upon Jesus. 374 years later, the Roman emperor Promiscuous IV announced that from then on, the day of April 1st would be set aside to commemorate Jesus’ witty invention of “I’ve got your nose” with jokes and pranks throughout the empire. Even since, people have spent the first day of April happily causing humor at other people’s expense.
So there you have it. Even though most people will likely forget the religious importance of this historic day, this April Fools’, as you lie to people’s faces and set up elaborate pranks, make an effort to remember Jesus in your heart. Moreover, the next time someone screams “April Fools’!” in your face, don’t get mad. Just remember, that’s what Jesus would do.