Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2018

47 www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com feature S cientists recently discovered that because the Charleston area lies on a major earthquake fault line, all land within a 50-mile radius of its epicenter is ripe for volcanoes, which could crop up at any time and with little warning. Is your house prepared to withstand thousands of cubic feet of molten lava flowing through it like a blazing river of fire? If volcano insurance isn’t covered under your umbrella policy, it’s important to add it before it’s too late. April fools! Did we have you questioning your lack of volcano insurance for a moment? The time is near when practical jokers have their day in the sun, but this strange holiday is not something that was just invented in the past few decades. Also called “All Fools’ Day,” people across varying cultures have been celebrating the gullibility of their friends, co-workers and casual acquaintances for centuries – but its origins are still unclear. Some historians speculate it relates back to an ancient Roman festival, Hilaria, celebrating the end of winter. Others think it is connected to the Celtic new year or the vernal equinox. Still more believe it ties in with the book of Genesis and Noah’s releasing of a dove from his ark before the flood waters receded. Another plausible theory is that the holiday began in 1582 when France switched to the Gregorian calendar, and those who weren’t aware of the change celebrated the “new year” on April 1, based on the former Julian calendar. In France, people still celebrate by putting a paper fish on a person’s back and calling them a “poisson d’Avril,” (April fish), to joke that they are as gullible as an easy-to-catch fish. Whatever its true origin, April Fools’ Day has escalated to the masses in recent decades, with one of the first and most famous media exploits being a report from the BBC in 1957 on Switzerland’s spaghetti harvest, complete with a video of women picking spaghetti from trees. Since then, hundreds of companies have followed suit and somehow continue to fool people year after year. From fast food pranks like Burger King’s “left-handed Whopper,” which has all the ingredients of a normal Whopper but rotated 180 degrees; to internet pranks like the faked death of Grumpy Cat or PC Computing’s report of an “internet drunk surfing” bill in Congress; to Sir Richard Branson reportedly buying Pluto and reinstating it as a planet; no topic is safe on the first day of April. Hopefully a little education on the topic will have you ready for April Fools’ Day, either to be the prankster or to help you not become a poisson d’Avril. But be sure to check on your volcano insurance policy; April 1 is also the start of volcano season. By Anne Toole VolcanoSeason IsHere: Are You Covered?