Hey guys! On a day when everyone will be doing false blog posts to trick others, I thought that I'd (Rachel) would give you some history of how this day started:
Think back to 1547. Medieval times are coming to a close. Science is being explored once more. The reformation is about to begin or in process or somewhere in there! :) Think of a young man named Samuel Shropwing. He was an apprentice in a cooperage, and a very cocky sort of lad indeed. After being reprimanded by his master one too many times to stop playing so many pranks, Samuel had an idea. What if he began observing one particular day of the year to play as many pranks as he could? The idea stuck. A slightly sacrilegious person, Samuel chose the first day of April, which happened to be during the church's Holy Week. On that day, he played many, many pranks on friends, and perfect strangers. One stranger, the Duke of Havershim, Edward Witherspoon, was driving by in a carriage when young Samuel Shropwing suddenly let down a clothesline full of flapping white clothes directly in front of the horses' noses. They spooked, nearly tipping the carriage over. When the driver finally calmed the horses down, he demanded that Samuel be brought to him at his country manor: Havershim Downs, that evening.
Samuel's cheekiness never failed him, and he swaggered into the drawing room in perfect good-humor. The Duke questioned Samuel as to why he had played such a trick. Samuel told him quite honestly the whole story from the beginning. The Duke was so tickled by the idea, and thought Samuel so very clever for thinking of it, that the evening ended in a jovial came of cards by the fire. Now, the Duke of Havershim was a favorite with the present King of England, and, being still quite a cheeky boy at heart, he told the King about Samuel Shropwing and his day of pranks. This tickled the King's fancy, and April Fool's day was observed in the Royal Courts for three years until it was finally proclaimed an official holiday in 1550.
There you have it! A perfectly false history of this day, made up jovially for you by me, Rachel. Happy April Fools! Hope I got you! :) :) :) :)
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