BAI

It occurs every year on the first day of April. Also known as All Fool’s Day or Foolish Day, this is a day to play practical jokes and pranks on your friends and family. Its origins are in dispute, but written reference to the day goes back to the 14^th century. One of the day’s most famous pranks was a 1957 BBC television special, showing “spaghetti trees” supposedly capable of growing fresh pasta (see below). After being bombarded by viewers wanting to know where they could buy these special trees, the broadcast company quickly had to clarify to their overly credulous viewing audience that it was indeed an April Fool’s Day hoax. Fun fact: nearly seven decades later, there is little or no evidence that BBC viewers are any less gullible. Proof? Blair, Brown, Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak, and Starmer.

Robert Couse-Baker from Sacramento, California, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It takes place on the anniversary of the first circus performance in America, which occurred on today’s date in Philadelphia in 1793. The modern circus had been created just decades before, by Philip Astley in England. Equestrian feats were the focus of early circuses, but in 1770, Astley added acrobats, jugglers, ropedancers, and clowns to his show to perform between the main horse-acts. In the 1840s, African elephants were introduced to the circus, and soon other exotic animals were added, and menageries became commonplace in circuses.  Fun Facts:

• George Washington attended this first American circus in Philadelphia.
• The word “circus” comes from the Latin word for circle or ring.
• In Rome’s Circus Maximus, chariot races took place in front of 150,000 spectators.
• Popcorn, a popular circus snack, dates back to 400BC.
• After living in the London Zoo for 16 years, Jumbo the Elephant came to America in 1882. His popularity inspired a new word: “jumbo,” a synonym for very large.
• 19^th century American circuses were often chaotic, involving gambling, excessive alcohol consumption, and fistfights, sometimes leading to full on riots. Acts included individuals with extreme deformities, the exceptionally ugly, and vomiting on command to entertain the local yokels.

Rjmail, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is an unofficial holiday that takes place every year on this date and encourages people to appreciate the role that pets play in our lives. People with pets are encouraged to give them the extra appreciation that they deserve on this day. The day also brings awareness to those pets who need the most attention, the ones in shelters who are in need of a home. Fun Facts:

• Cats spend 30-50% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
• A dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 times more sensitive than a human’s.
• Cats don’t “meow” at other cats. They only use this sound to get attention from humans.
• Cats can jump 7 times their height. Equivalent to a 1.75m man jumping 12.25 meters—enabling him to jump and look into the third floor of an apartment! (it’s the coming down that might be even harder!)
• Similar to human’s fingerprints, a dog’s and cat’s nose print is totally unique.
• Most intelligent dogs: border collie, poodle, and golden retriever. Least intelligent: Afghan hound—requiring over 80 commands to understand a new one. Cats: Abyssinian, Siamese, and Bengal. Least intelligent: Persian, known as “furniture with fur.”
• The proper name for a group of cats is a clowder. A group of kittens is called a kindle. It’s guaranteed that 99.17% of native English speakers don’t know that! Ask!

Revisorius, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is celebrated each year on the third Thursday in April. Make sure to give a “high-five” to everyone you meet and spread the word. How did this all start? Depends on whom you ask. We’re going with the baseball story that dates back to October 2, 1977, when Los Angeles Dodgers Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke gave each other a high five in celebration. Baker’s home run had just made L.A. the first team in history to have four hitters with at least 30 home runs in a single season. Today people everywhere use it to mean “Congratulations!” or “Great job!” Fun Facts:

• A study indicated that teams that give more high-fives (and fist-bumps) have increased performance quality. In other words, it works!
• The term “high-five” entered the Oxford English Dictionary as a noun in 1980 and as a verb in 1981.
• The simple act releases dopamine, a natural happiness booster. It doesn’t matter if you are high-fiving a friend, teammate, lover, or your pet dog or cat!
• Variations have evolved over the decades and have become popular in themselves: the Baby Five, the Air Five, the Double High Five, the Fist Bump, and the Self High Five.
• A few pet shelters train their cats to high-five, as it makes them more loveable and therefore more adoptable.
• An American author wrote a book centered around high-fives, and he encourages readers to give themselves high-fives in the mirror to start their day on a more positive and joyful note, “for a happier and more productive life.”

Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It honors Saint George, the revered patron saint of England. This day commemorates his legendary valor and the rich cultural heritage associated with his name.

• Little is known about his actual life, historical records suggest that Saint George was a high-ranking Roman soldier born around 270 AD in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey), not England, and most likely never visited the country.
• He was executed on April 23rd, 303 AD, for refusing to renounce his Christian faith during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian.
• George is respected by both Christians and Muslims, with some Muslim scholars identifying him with the figure of al-Khadr.
• The tall tale of St. George slaying a dragon was developed centuries after his death to represent the battle between good and evil.
• He is likewise the patron saint of Catalonia (since 1456), Portugal, Moscow, Georgia, and Lebanon, as well as soldiers, scouts, and farmers.
• George’s cross did not become the official flag of England until early in the 16^th century, long after he was adopted as a patron.
• The day is also celebrated in Aragon and Catalonia, each incorporating local traditions and interpretations. In Catalonia, the day is known as «La Diada de Sant Jordi,» where it is customary to exchange roses and books, which inspired the1995 origin of UNESCO World Book Day. The date also marks the date of the death of both Shakespeare (1616: Julian calendar) and Cervantes (1616: Georgian calendar) .

Sfg1966, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is for honoring both fictional superheroes and real-life superheroes—those who risk their lives to keep others safe. Both  groups are role models for children, and, today, maybe even more for certain adults (see below). The day was thought up by employees of Marvel Comics in 1995. There are a countless number of fictional superheroes who are honored on the day, such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Spiderman. But as a common phrase says, «not all heroes wear capes.» Real-life heroes put themselves in harm’s way, and in circumstances where they may risk their lives for others, just as their fictional counterparts do. Fun Facts:

• The original Superman character was supposed to be bald! His hearing is so good that he can hear all the hearts on Earth beating—seven billion of them!
• Batman is said to have an IQ of 190. (Einstein’s was 160.) He is the master of 127 different martial arts, speaks 40 languages, and though he now has a “no kill” policy, in his early appearances he cruelly killed criminals by throwing them into acid or hanging them from the Batplane.
• The Hulk was going to be grey, not green, but green ink was much cheaper to use in comic books, and it was decided it looked better on the page. So, green it was!
• Spiderman built a time machine out of a blender, microwave oven, and a VCR player; he once survived being buried alive for two weeks; he has been clocked running at 190kph.
• The creator of Wonder Woman also invented the first polygraph machine; unfortunately, the machine was rubbish and failed to work accurately in many scientific tests.

Olaf Gradin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons