Kat Code April Fool s Day is Serious Business eople need to start taking April Fool’s Day more seriously. Sure, I admit that it’s fun to Saran-wrap a toilet seat, or spend the better part of the night covering your friend’s house, win- dows, cat, and doorknobs with the chicken skins you’ve been keeping in your freezer all year, but did you know that April Fool’s Day actually has its roots in the French Revolution of 1212? St. Filet de Poisson apparently came to France from the Mesopotamian region in 1176. He carried a message of love and hope, and quickly settled in a village on what is now the French Riviera. In addi- tion to his message of peace, Poisson brought a simple invention from his native homeland that would forever change the lives of Europeans—the fish- ing net. The ocean’s bounty quickly replaced agriculture as the main food sup- ply for France’s coastal regions as word of Filet de Poisson’s technical innovation spread. The invention sparked a cultural revo- lution in France. Poor peasants were now able to catch and sell seafood, creating a merchant class known as the “nouveaux riche,” or “new rich.” In the early thir- teenth century, the “Lords of the Land,” or, “Landlords,” saw their grip on the peasant class slipping, and with it, the cheap labour they needed to tend their massive tracks of land. Fealty was at an all-time low, with fees slipping from “‘one March 30/2005 f- 7 / ( The Way Things Sometimes Are CF Miley, Opinions Editor ox per household,” to “one half chicken or one full carp, whichever is deemed fresher.” In 1212, French landlords decided to flex some regal muscle and outlawed the use of fishing nets by anyone other than a royal representative. This led to a revolt, followed closely by a revolution, before culminating in a civil war. Using funds amassed from net fishing, Filet de Poisson led “La Résistance,’ a massive under- ground movement to overthrow the King. King Philip II, derogatorily known as Philip the Fatigué—recent DNA tests have shown him to have been anemic— quickly tired of all the bloodshed that the civil war had unleashed upon his beloved France. To maintain his tenuous grip on the country, he repealed fish-net law. The merchant class was reborn, and to cele- Thousands of great deals every week! Vehicles, Sporting Goods, Pet Filet de Poisson was named France’s Patron Saint of the Sea. The first “St. Filet’s Day” was celebrat- ed on April 1, 1213. Villagers across France gathered in the week that followed brate, the vernal equinox to hold a second, more clandestine, celebration to honour St. Filet de Poisson. Days were spent in quiet contemplation, with all people required to pray for a continued bounty from the ocean. By night, huge bonfires were lit, mead was consumed, and square-pressed fish patties were painted orange and stamped with a simple fish logo. This orange square with a fish on it became St. Filet de Poisson’s symbol. In the centuries that followed, the story of St. Filet was reenacted in the dining halls of local manors throughout France every April 1. France spent the next six centuries being constantly invaded—and often con- quered—but the celebration of St. Filet’s New Every Thursday! To the Dealer: Upon receipt of this coupon toward the purchase af the specified product, Yraver Classified Media will reimburse you the face value of the coupon plus regular handling. Application for redemption on any other basis may constitute fraud and wit, at our option, vold coupon presented. Applications for reimbursement accepted from principais only. Mail fo: Tracer Classified Media PO Box 3000, Saint John, N.B. E2L 413. 72707076 Expiry date: July 31, 05 = = mo be Day continued. In the 16th century, English invaders took the festival back home with them when they left France. Being largely toothless, the English sol- diers mispronounced “Filet” as “Fool,” and the day became St. Fool’s Day. The Church of England was aghast at having the word “Saint” beside the word “Fool,” and instead adopted the date of the year- ly celebration as its name. April Fool’s Day was born. So please, this April 1, when you're starting an internet rumour about how to extract high-grade opium from the com- mon ficus plant, take a moment to remember St. Filet de Poisson. Maybe you could even go find a pressed-fish patty, preferably one that is orange, and eat it. Without him, the bulk of us would still be tending fields under the oppressive rule of a tired French king. Vive le Filet de Poisson! www.theotherpress.ca 7