Victoria Storytellers Guild

Monday, March 28, 2022

Did you know that spaghetti grows on trees?



 

It’s April Fool’s Day!

Widely recognized as the best April fool’s dayjoke ever, on 1 April 1957, the BBC produced a television documentary on theSwiss spaghetti harvest.

Inspired by the Egyptian legend of Osiris and Seth, Romans celebrated Hilaria at the end of March. People dressed up and joyfully mocked important people.

In 1582, France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. A lot of people were slow to get the news that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March, leading to a lot of laughs on and about April 1. Paper fish were fastened to the backs to symbolize how these gullible people were easily “hooked.”

In the United Kingdom, during the 1700s, people were sent on phony errands searching for gowks (a word for cuckoo bird, which became the symbol of a fool.  The following day became known as Tailie Day, when pranks were played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.

April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, the symbol for a fool.) Tailie Day, which followed, involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.

This year, may you enjoy your April fools day and, if you are out and about,  remember to watch your back!

 


Get your bling on for Spring, and join the Victoria Storytellers Guild for some glittering stories! Stories at Fern starts at 7:30, virtually. Connections accepted from 7:00 pm onward

Stories at Fern is the Guild's regular monthly meeting. Admission is free for members who have paid their dues. If you would like to become a member or pay your $25 annual dues, you are always welcome. If you are just dropping in to a virtual event, the suggested donation is $5, which can be made in three ways: via Paypal (paypal.me/storytellersvictoria), an e-transfer to treasurer@victoriastorytellers.org, or you can contact them to obtain a mailing address for a cheque.

They use Zoom, the online conferencing system. Admission is free, and there is no need to create a Zoom account, however they ask folks to register in advance for a secure, enjoyable experience.

To register now click here, or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtdu6hqTsuGNRrE-y1Sapbrt98180m_OsG

When you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email with the specific instructions for joining us by computer, tablet, smartphone, or regular phone.


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