Buddy’s Fascinating Facts for April 2023
- April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day is the custom on April 1st around the world of playing practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often shout “April Fool!” at the unfortunate recipient.
Danes, Finns, Icelanders, Norwegians and Swedes celebrate April Fools’ Day (aprilskämt in Swedish; aprilsnar in Danish; aprillipäivä in Finnish; aprilsnarr in Norwegian). Most news media outlets will publish exactly one false story on 1 April.
In Italy, France, Belgium and French-speaking areas of Switzerland and Canada, the 1 April tradition is often known as “April fish” (poisson d’avril in French, april vis in Dutch or pesce d’aprile in Italian). Pranks include attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim’s back without being noticed.
In many Spanish-speaking countries (and the Philippines), April Fools’ Day is also traditional, as “Día dos enganos”, the day when” donkeys go where they must not go”.
The Scots enjoy the practice of pulling pranks on April 1st, known as Hunt-the-Gowk Day (Gowk meaning cuckoo bird). Traditionally a time to send people on wild goose chases or false errands, wasting their time. Similarly, in Ireland.
In Poland, Prima Aprilis, or April 1, they have a good parting phrase for prankers: Prima Aprilis, uważaj, bo się pomylisz! (April Fools’ Day, be careful — you can be wrong!)
Truly, advice to take throughout the year.
2. Thailand observes Chakri Memorial Day as a public holiday on April 6th every year. Officially known as “King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke the Great Day and Chakri Dynasty Memorial Day,” this holiday commemorates the establishment of the Chakri Dynasty by King Rama I in 1782, over two centuries ago.
3. Cheers to National Beer Day on April 7! No matter how you pour it, a love of beer is shared by enthusiasts on this day.
Beer is the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic drink, and it’s easy to see why. It comes in hundreds of types, flavors, and proofs. People have been drinking it for thousands of years; scientists have found evidence of beer production dating to 7,000 BC. Ancient Mesopotamians wrote poems about it, and considered it proof of divine existence. The Ancient Egyptians used it in a number of religious ceremonies. In Medieval Europe, monks made beer in their monasteries, elevating the craft of brewing to an art form.
Today, only water and tea are more widely consumed than beer, and over 35 billion gallons of beer are produced worldwide per year!
National Beer Day celebrates the day in 1933 that the Cullen-Harrison act was signed into law, reversing the prohibition on selling beer in the United States. In 2009, a Virginian man named Justin Smith decided to commemorate this historic day, and created his own unofficial National Beer Day. Since then, it has been recognized by the state of Virginia, and unofficially by millions of brew aficionados worldwide.
One of the best things about beer is the sheer number of varieties that exist. IPAs, Pilsners, Stouts, Sours… the list goes on and on. In terms of alcohol content, beer usually ranges between 4-7% ABV, meaning you can sip a cold one on a hot day without much worry of intoxication. Last but not least, it’s readily available in Buddy’s to share with your friends!
4. Songkran is on 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14 to 15 April. It is a national holiday, and an important event on the Buddhist calendar. The water festival marks the beginning of the traditional Thai New Year. People believe that water will wash away bad luck, and splashing water over friends or anyone will give them a New Year blessing. The name Songkran comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘washing’ or ‘cleaning’.
5. Our inaugural Saturday Scandinavian Smorgasbord last month at Buddy’s Soi 8 Bar was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. And the Aalborg and Linie Akvavit certainly flowed. We saw this interesting comment on Twitter from one of our regulars: “Aalborg Akvavit is from my home town. I live just next to the big old factory in Aalborg. The production stopped in Aalborg in 2015 and moved to Norway of all anti-alcohol places🤢”
6. St. George’s Day is celebrated on 23 April 2023, and is recognised as England’s national day. Saint George is said to be born around the year 280 A.D. in the region of Turkey. He started as a soldier in the Roman Army and eventually rose up the ranks, becoming a personal guard to Emperor Diocletian. Saint George is popularly known for slaying a dragon. According to the legend, the town of Silene had only one well and it was guarded by a dragon. The inhabitants of the town had to make a human sacrifice every day to get water from the well. One day Saint George was visiting and a princess had been selected for sacrifice. Saint George saved the princess, killed the dragon, and gave the people of Silene easy access to the well. After this act of bravery, the town people converted to Christianity.
Aside from England, other countries and cities that celebrate St George’s Day include Canada, Croatia, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon, Catalonia, Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Germany, Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice.