APRIL FOOLS!
April Fools! Something about that phrase, and this day, makes me smile and laugh yet fills me with dread all at the same time. I remember pulling pranks as a kid like the old thread through the hem and filling the sugar bowl with salt. Except one year, the prank was almost on me since my mom nearly used the salt in the sugar bowl to make a treat for myself and a friend. Oops! Thankfully, her keen eye caught it just in time, and our homemade goodie was delicious. I think that year marked the end of my April Fools’ Day pranks. But how did April Fools’ Day start?
There are several theories, one of which is that King Charles IX of France moved the first day of the calendar year from Easter to January 1st. This occurred in 1564 with the reasoning that Easter was a movable date, since it was closely connected to the vernal equinox, and that a new calendar year should have a fixed date. Those who struggled with adjusting and caught celebrating or acknowledging the start of a new year in the springtime were called April fools.
Another theory is that the weather is tricky and fools us with by being warm and sunny one day and freezing and wintry the next. That was certainly true this year! I finally waved my white flag to the freezing temperatures and snow and (begrudgingly) pulled out my winter coat again. Regardless of the origin of this unofficial holiday, having some fun and laughs at creative pranks can give us something to look forward to each year…or dread, depending on your perspective. (On a side note, I think I’m falling under the “curious dread” category this year—if that’s a thing—because my kids have been plotting for WEEKS. Feel free to pray for my husband and me.)
Laughter is pretty amazing. Not only does it trigger the reward center in our brains—making us want to laugh and laugh more often—it has health benefits too. Laughter combats stress and anxiety and puts our bodies into a state of relaxation. It also boosts our immune systems, reduces inflammation, and can have a beneficial impact on our blood sugar levels. Laughter has also been shown to boost self-esteem. No wonder they say Laughter is the best medicine. But what does the Bible say?
Well, God made laughter, and the Bible has plenty to say about laughing and rejoicing! Ecclesiastes 3:4 says that there is “a time to laugh,” Job 8:21 says, “Till He fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing,” and Psalm 126:2 says, “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them,” just to name a few (KJV). Laughter, rejoicing, and joy are things God wants us to experience! These go far beyond happiness, which is a short-lived, shallow shell version of joy.
Happiness can lead us down a path of bondage to the next new and great thing that delivers a burst of this pleasure-driven emotion. But joy? Rejoicing in God? Laughing because God has done a mighty work which boosts our faith and hope in Him? These are a source of strength. These are sourced in our unchanging God and will never let us down. This is how we can “laugh without fear of the future” as some versions of Proverbs 31:25 say (see, NIV, ESV). Because, unlike the spring weather, God doesn’t change, He doesn’t trick us or fool us. He makes promises that are sealed with His Word and backed by His character. When we stand in these promises, we are standing in His power, and we can rejoice, laugh; we can find strength in this joy that can empower us through whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. So, on this April Fools’ Day, we can laugh at pranks, but we can also find the strength to laugh at uncertainty knowing that God doesn’t fool us because His promises are everlasting and true.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “April Fools’ Day”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Feb. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/April-Fools-Day. Accessed 30 March 2022.
“The Healing Benefits of Humor and Laughter.” https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/healing-benefits-humor-laughter.asp. Accessed 30 March 2022.