All Fools’ Day

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Apr 1, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 13.

“All Fools’ Day.”—This paper is dated on what the world calls, “All Fools’ Day,” or “April Fool.” The day has been said to refer to the mockery of Jesus, or to the uncertainty of the weather; but neither of these is reasonable. The Hindus play fool tricks on people at their Huli festival, March 31. Some have thought that, as the new year once began on March 25, the festival ended April 1. No origin or custom will excuse the folly, often followed by very serious consequences, of practical joking which fools seem to feel they are licensed to indulge in on that day. Blinded eyes, injured spines, and even death have followed in the fool footsteps of the practical joker. Henry Ward Beecher, it is said, received a letter in which was written the one term, “April Fool.” The great preacher remarked that he had often heard of persons writing letters and forgetting to sign their names, but he never before knew of a case in which the writer signed his name and forgot to write the letter. Here is a good text for the jokers to consider: “As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, so is the man that deceiveth his neighbor, and saith, Am not I in sport?” Prov. 26:18. We may pity the “fools,” sometimes we may smile at them; but there is no need of becoming one of them.