April Fools Day Origins

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Farrier1987
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April Fools Day Origins

Post by Farrier1987 » Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:16 am

April Fools Day Origins

Lots of people do silly things for April fools day, and some of them fall short and some of them are darn funny.

But most people don’t know the origin of the day. It was originally April fuels day. This started in medieval Europe. The peasants on the laird’s estates had to pay for the sticks and wood that they picked up in the forest for burning in their pitiful hovels. This caused a lot of sneaking little bits home when no one was looking. And the laird wasn’t collecting his “taxes” and it wasn’t very efficient to have the Knights running around the forest to police the picking up of twigs, and their horses made deep tracks that helped turn things into quagmires.

So one of the lairds, his name was Hughs d’Atslaffin (he was a Poltroon on his mother’s side) decided that if, on the first of April, all the peasants were allowed to go and collect all the faggots they could and stockpile them free gratis, and he would collect taxes all the other days.

So this was duly put in place and if you were caught trying to smuggle faggots into the closet any other day, the penalty was death. And this worked out fairly well. And the word spread to other feudal lairds, and the custom became established.

Then with the industrial revolution and the new fuel of coal, then oil and gas so we could get more global warming, the custom died out. But people still remembered April Fuels Day. Over time, it got changed due to slurring of words over too many flagons of mead, and someone would say “Its fuel, you fool” and its now known as April Fool’s Day. And instead of collecting sticks, we play tricks.

Just sort of an interesting story that not too many people know, that I thought I would pass along. I am surprised Exxon or someone hasn’t picked up on it and used it for commercial purposes.
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Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.

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Killerbunny
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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by Killerbunny » Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:26 am

Good one @Farrier1987 !
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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by baronrenfrew » Mon Apr 01, 2019 10:06 am

That’s awesome! (not often we can use the term faggot in its properly - faggots in the closet sheesh!)
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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by Ontario Chick » Mon Apr 01, 2019 10:09 am

If you made up the whole thing, you have missed your calling, any advertising agency would snap you up in a heart beat.
Or possibly a government agency putting together their annual budget. ;)
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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by Killerbunny » Mon Apr 01, 2019 11:31 am

This is right up there with Hordes of the Things with it's hero, Agar the Log Poacher.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hordes_of ... io_series)
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:iheartpto:
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
:turkey:

:bat:

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Farrier1987
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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by Farrier1987 » Mon Apr 01, 2019 12:06 pm

As when scholarly works are published, I should have listed my sources. The only thing poached,(source lost in my memory banks) was "Poltroon on his mothers side".
Other than that, it should have been noted at the bottom:

Source: Prime.
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Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.

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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by Killerbunny » Mon Apr 01, 2019 4:14 pm

Good use of "poltroon" on this site A+!
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:iheartpto:
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
:turkey:

:bat:

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Farrier1987
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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by Farrier1987 » Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:55 am

Okay KB. Because of you I had to look up poltroon. I knew it mean coward, but I didn't know where it came from. And yes, its appropriate for this site. I used it by pure chance I must admit.
Poltroon: A coward, a chicken. Pullet poultry and poltroon all come from the same root, via French Italian and Latin. Thanks for making me curious.

And thank you Baronrenfrew and OC too for noticing. You may now kiss my ring and you are granted permission to go pick up all the faggots you may desire. But only in daylight hours and stay away from schools. And I won't say anything more about closets, you can keep them in there or not, as you choose.
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Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.

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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by Killerbunny » Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:10 am

Farrier1987 wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:55 am
Okay KB. Because of you I had to look up poltroon. I knew it mean coward, but I didn't know where it came from. And yes, its appropriate for this site. I used it by pure chance I must admit.
Poltroon: A coward, a chicken. Pullet poultry and poltroon all come from the same root, via French Italian and Latin. Thanks for making me curious.

And thank you Baronrenfrew and OC too for noticing. You may now kiss my ring and you are granted permission to go pick up all the faggots you may desire. But only in daylight hours and stay away from schools. And I won't say anything more about closets, you can keep them in there or not, as you choose.
It was you who made ME curious Oh great & mighty one! Always a good day when you learn something new!
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:iheartpto:
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
:turkey:

:bat:

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baronrenfrew
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Re: April Fools Day Origins

Post by baronrenfrew » Thu Apr 04, 2019 12:27 pm

Farrier1987 - you ring true that those who use curse words aren’t smart enough to think of other things to say.

I tip my hat to you !

:beer: :farmer:
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Diligently follow the path of two swords as one. Percieve that which the eye cannot see. Seek the truth in all things. Do not engage in useless activity.

The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsmen

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