Tag Archives: April Fools Day

Welcome to April

April, Brevarium Grimani, fol. 5v (Flemish)
circa 1510
Public Domain via Wikipedia Commons

April is the fourth month on the current Gregorian but the fifth month on the old Julian calendar. In the Northern Hemisphere, April is the beginning of spring in many places. In the Southern Hemisphere, April is the equivalent of October. The name April comes from the Latin word Aprilis and was the second month on the old Roman calendar that used to begin in March.

April was seen as a month of both sun and growth by the Romans, which may be how they came up with the name Aprilis. There may be some connection to the Greek goddess Aphrodite as well. Whatever its origin, the name stuck and has come to us as April. With winter over for most in the Northern Hemisphere, it was a time of joy. It started getting warmer, the cold days of rain, snow, and frost receded and replaced by much nicer days.

There are countless festivities in April to celebrate this time of year to be chronicled here. April Fools Day (1 April) is celebrated around the world as a day of playing pranks. It possibly goes back to a time when people, happy to see winter come to an end, would play joyful pranks on their family and friends. Whatever its source, it has become ingrained into culture and tradition. Easter and Passover are often celebrated in April as well.

For those interested, the birthstone for April is the diamond and the birth flowers are the daisy and sweet pea.

April Fools Day

cmdytragThere is really no way to fool a Titanic enthusiast. I could mock-up some news reports that Titanic II has been approved and under construction or that some new Titanic artifact has been found. Or that a certain eccentric English gentleman who claims ownership of the wreck went to court recently and convinced a UK court that he, as the lawful owner of Titanic, has final say over its disposition and not Premier Exhibitions. Or that during construction in a building formerly used by the original White Star Line papers were found that positively proves that Titanic was sunk by a German submarine.

None of that would fool a real Titanic enthusiast. Over in China they are building a Titanic exhibit that will not only look like Titanic but will simulate the sinking. That is a true story as bizarre as it sounds. Forget the wax museum approach! We will make you feel the shakes and shudders of Titanic heading to its watery grave. No word if they will air cool the exhibit so you feel the freezing temperature of that awful night. Of course if you are paranormal expert, why not seek out the ghosts? Stories abound of Titanic exhibits being haunted. But why? I mean why hang around an exhibit about the ship you died on? Do you really need a character like the one played by the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt to tell you to move into the light?

The greatest April Fools Day joke was done by Clive Palmer. He spent serious money to wine and dine the rich about his Titanic II. A ship to look like the old one but with all the new safety features of today. And to make it more like 1912, passengers will truly have that feel with segregated sections and uncomfortable sleeping down on third class (called steerage back then). He had plans drawn up and preliminary tests done. He even supposedly signed a preliminary deal with a Chinese shipyard. Alas it is not come to pass. No construction has started, Chinese workers are unimpressed, and Palmer himself is in a row with the Chinese government. An expensive April Fools Day joke for him.

So today I just give it a pass. There is no fooling a Titanic enthusiast. Because on 15 April, it will be 103 years since it sank. And that is not joke.

MacHighway - Web Hosting for Mac Users, by Mac Users, Since 1997