April Fools' Day | JOY for Today

(Updated March 7, 2024.)

While we are not in favor of calling people fools, we are in favor of making memories, joining in laughter, and cultivating general merriment. Pranks, done right, can ignite all these things. Plan one (or two) and keep your head about you as you navigate the JOY in today.

Two donkeys peer over a fence. Text overlay reads April Fools' Day: a time to laugh Ecclesiastes 3:4
Photo by editonevideo at Pixabay

April Fools' Day Topics:

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:

Did You Know:

  1. One April Fools' Day origin story suggests it began as a mockery of people who were slow to transition to the Gregorian calendar? The previous calendar's (Julian) New Year began on the spring equinox, which occurs around April 1st. So, those who continued celebrating the New Year on the last week of March through April first were called April fools.
  2. The original prank was a paper fish plastered to your back? The fish symbolized gullibility and the French still celebrate this way.
  3. Asking people to run meaningless and ridiculous errands for you is a traditional way to celebrate? A Flemish poet first recorded in verse in 1561 what the Scottish continue to practice as "hunting the gowk" on the first day of their two-day April Fools' Day celebrations. 
  4. In Ireland, there is a specific errand with a particular message.  It begins by requesting the "fool" to deliver an important letter. But the letter never reaches its destination as each recipient redirects the message to another person. When finally opened, the message reads: "Send the fool further."
  5. Fake news stories are a modern-day twist on the nearly 500-year-old tradition? In 1878, Thomas Edison invented a machine that transformed water into wine and earth into food, at least as reported by The New York Daily Graphic.
Read more about April Fool's Day:

We'd Love to Know:

An April Fools' fact you know.

Wolfe Stew Connects

April Fools' Day was commonly celebrated in my childhood. With five siblings, you never knew where the attack would come from so you had to constantly be on guard. After falling victim to an attack, you'd brush it off, have a laugh, be more cautious, and plan a return assault. 

The pranking process reminds me of the power in RESTARTS. Although we will fall to the enemy's attacks from time to time, we have the power in God to RISE UP and RESTART. This FIGHT is worth the struggle. To encourage you in your RESTART(s), we've made a GROWTH for Today calendar with daily tasks to help you embrace your RESTART. Each day is new, each moment is new, and each breath is good fuel for a RESTART. Know that we are learning to embrace RESTARTS with you.

We'd Love to Know:

How you defend against attacks.


Bible Verses and Quotes to Inspire

Verses

  • "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;" Ecclesiastes 3:4 KJV
  • "You should not have laughed at your brother's trouble. You should not have been happy when they destroyed Judah. You should not have bragged at the time of their trouble." Obadiah 12 ERV
  • "Fools think they know what is best, but a sensible person listens to advice." Proverbs 12:15 CEV
  • "Without good advice, everything goes wrong - it takes careful planning for things to go right. Proverbs 15:22 CEV
  • "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." I John 4:1 KJV

Quotes

  • "The compliments of the season to my worthy masters, and a merry first of April to us all." - Charles Lamb
  • "Today is April Fool's Day. Believe nothing and trust no one...just like any other day."
  • "Fools make fools of themselves until they get fooled by some other fool on April Fools." - Some Anonymous Fool
  • "April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four." - Mark Twain
  • "April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." - William Shakespeare

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote best sums up April Fools' Day for you?

Activity Suggestions

Get in the spirit with one (or two) of the activities below:

Would You Rather:

  • Be sent on a fool's errand or find a note stuck to your back?
  • Pull a good prank or tell a good joke?
  • Wake up in a different room or not be able to put on your shoes?
For three "Would you rather..." questions for every April day, download our Wolfe Stew PowerPoint. Or get it (for free!) at our TPT store.

Family Challenge

Have a pranking (or joke-telling) competition. Set guidelines, like not harmful to person or property and respond with compliments for the effort and retaliate with another prank (or joke). Partner up, or go  solo. Engage! Then,  reflect, which prank (or joke) was the best? Why? 

We'd Love to Know: 

Are you a prankster?

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow.

Fighting the Good Fight with You,

Red stew bowl with steam rising from top. Wolfe Stew crawled on front.

Sample these related posts:
To learn about how laughter is referenced in the Bible.
To connect with "Tell a Joke Day".
To think about how favor can fool you.
To choose honesty over deceit.
To understand that blessing is foolproof.



Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.


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