April 1st - Fish or Fool?
The Scene - A spring evening, at a home in the South of France...... A family sits down to dinner.
Tonight, amongst the dishes on the menu is a scrumptious breaded fish filet, gratin of potatoes and sauteed green beans. They have a wonderful starter of the new season's asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and then get ready for the main course. Maman serves the family and then toasting their meal again with the usual, "bon apetit", they begin.
The fish is golden brown with a crispy coating - just the way the kids love it. As they cut into their filets they think, "Maman must have bought these at a new fishmonger!" ....... but ....... no sooner than they take the first bite, the young daughter exclaims indignantly, "Maman! Qu'est-ce que c'est ce poisson?????!!!" Maman and Papa break out into howls of laughter and counter with, "Poisson d'Avril!!"
The kids had been pranked by their parents!
It was April 1st ...... le Poisson d'Avril .... of course!
After much laughing and joking, the family continued with their meal, this time with real fish filets.
One of my French/Ameican friends told me this story, about the trick she played on her children one April 1st. She had carefully cut out fish filet shaped cardboard, very carefully breaded them and cooked them for the kids as an April Fool's day prank. The result was a lot of fun and a very enjoyable meal of real fish, but I'm sure the kids will get her back for the prank one day!
Fish or Fool, the April 1st designation as the day of pranks, appears to have its roots in similat beginnings for both France and Britain 9and I'm sure some other countries).
The most common theory is that April 1st was New year's Dy prior to the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar in 1582. At that time, Charles IX decided to reform the calendar to bring the lunar year into alignment with the calendar year. The date for New Year was changed to January 1st. All learned people made the adjustment, whilst others carried on celebrating New Year's Day on April 1st. They were considered to be mere fools, or fish in the case of the French, since fish were thought to be lowly and unintelligent creatures.
Now ..... we have a day of fun and pranks. In France, you would carry paper fish and try to sneak up on friends, workmates and family, trying to pin one of the fish on their backs. The unsuspecting recipient of the fish walks around with their Poisson d'Avril until they discover it. It's a bit like walking around with "hit me" pinned on your back, and it gives everyone around a lot of amusement.
My favorite of all Poisson d'Avril treats, are all the edible decorations that adorn the patisseries and chocolate stores, paying tribute to the day. Artistic patissiers create fantastic versions of the lowly "poisson". Chocolate fish come in all sizes - with colorful bows tied around their midriffs - small sardines wrapped in colorful foil wrappers - small fish filled with ganache - spectacular fish in sea scapes and tanks surrounded with all manner of other sea creatures around them.
.......... it's all very fishy - but it's a lot of fun!
The fish is golden brown with a crispy coating - just the way the kids love it. As they cut into their filets they think, "Maman must have bought these at a new fishmonger!" ....... but ....... no sooner than they take the first bite, the young daughter exclaims indignantly, "Maman! Qu'est-ce que c'est ce poisson?????!!!" Maman and Papa break out into howls of laughter and counter with, "Poisson d'Avril!!"
The kids had been pranked by their parents!
It was April 1st ...... le Poisson d'Avril .... of course!
After much laughing and joking, the family continued with their meal, this time with real fish filets.
One of my French/Ameican friends told me this story, about the trick she played on her children one April 1st. She had carefully cut out fish filet shaped cardboard, very carefully breaded them and cooked them for the kids as an April Fool's day prank. The result was a lot of fun and a very enjoyable meal of real fish, but I'm sure the kids will get her back for the prank one day!
Fish or Fool, the April 1st designation as the day of pranks, appears to have its roots in similat beginnings for both France and Britain 9and I'm sure some other countries).
The most common theory is that April 1st was New year's Dy prior to the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar in 1582. At that time, Charles IX decided to reform the calendar to bring the lunar year into alignment with the calendar year. The date for New Year was changed to January 1st. All learned people made the adjustment, whilst others carried on celebrating New Year's Day on April 1st. They were considered to be mere fools, or fish in the case of the French, since fish were thought to be lowly and unintelligent creatures.
Now ..... we have a day of fun and pranks. In France, you would carry paper fish and try to sneak up on friends, workmates and family, trying to pin one of the fish on their backs. The unsuspecting recipient of the fish walks around with their Poisson d'Avril until they discover it. It's a bit like walking around with "hit me" pinned on your back, and it gives everyone around a lot of amusement.
My favorite of all Poisson d'Avril treats, are all the edible decorations that adorn the patisseries and chocolate stores, paying tribute to the day. Artistic patissiers create fantastic versions of the lowly "poisson". Chocolate fish come in all sizes - with colorful bows tied around their midriffs - small sardines wrapped in colorful foil wrappers - small fish filled with ganache - spectacular fish in sea scapes and tanks surrounded with all manner of other sea creatures around them.
.......... it's all very fishy - but it's a lot of fun!
Posted by Marianne at 4/1/2011 5:53 PM 
Categories: Sablet Home, provence, vacation, Sablet, Travel, Provencal Villages, Travel Journal, Europe
Tags: Poisson d Avril April Fools day Fish
Categories: Sablet Home, provence, vacation, Sablet, Travel, Provencal Villages, Travel Journal, Europe
Tags: Poisson d Avril April Fools day Fish
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