Plant a tree instead!

Today, the first day of the fourth month of the Gregorian calendar, is popularly known as ‘April Fools Day,’ or ‘All Fools Day’ in countries around the world. Although not a holiday in its’ own right, it is a day celebrated or rather marked by those who like to play practical jokes. There are a number of versions about how this date was chosen as a ‘Fools Day’ and while a few persons have tried to make its origin controversial, an origin which is widely accepted is that April 1 was counted the first day of the year in France and when King Charles IX changed it to January 1, some people stayed with April and those who did were called ‘April Fools’ and were taunted by their neighbours. Also in another version in some countries, the jokes are supposed to last only until noon, so someone who plays a trick after noon is called an ‘April Fool.’

The day is marked by the hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying kinds on friends, family members and even enemies and neighbours, or sending them on errands that end up embarrassing the victim. In the context of it being controversial there are a few stories about its origin which offend some people and the question arises whether we should celebrate/mark it in any manner. Many others accept the origins given above and say there is no harm in doing what people all over the world do celebrate/mark it in some manner.

While it’s good to have some fun now and again, why not plant a tree instead -- or many trees for that matter -- and mark the day in a different way instead of maybe hurting someone’s feelings? This proposal has been put forward by a number of organisations/groups and is a good way to promote the planting of trees for a clean and green Pakistan. It will make you feel good and eventually help, along with other measures, to keep the bogey of climate change at bay.