By Louise Irvine
Fish and rabbits might appear to have little in common, but they are both associated with April 1st superstitions. In France, April Fool’s Day is known as Poisson d’Avril, literally April’s Fish, and sweethearts exchange romantic cards and play light-hearted pranks. In Britain, uttering “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit!” upon waking on the first day of the month is believed to ensure good luck. The superstition may be linked to the practice of carrying a rabbit’s foot as an amulet to bring good fortune.
The Celts first associated rabbits with good luck, and it was believed that they could communicate with the spirits of the underworld, as they live underground in burrows. In North American folklore, hoodoo magic suggests that the rabbit’s foot is cut from a shapeshifted witch. Some witches claimed they could transform into rabbits to escape pursuit, and they were believed to be their familiars.
The elusive nocturnal behaviors of rabbits (and hares) linked them to the moon and pagan magic. As prolific procreators, they were also connected to fertility rituals. A female rabbit has a lifespan of around 10 years and generally has 4 to 8 litters per year, each with 4 to 10 babies. It has been estimated that one couple alone can have over 13 million descendants in three years.
Some sources say that the rabbit’s foot is only lucky if it is caught under the full moon, when witches are most active, or on Friday the 13th. As Christianity spread, the rabbit’s pagan associations with nature were replaced by the more benign Easter bunny. The name “bunny” is derived from “bun,” a provincial British word for tail.
Rabbits only appear in the Bible as unclean meat for the Israelites to eat, but they have become a symbol of Christianity’s most important holiday because of their ancient associations with fertility and new life in spring. The fluffy Easter mascot was introduced to America by German immigrants in the 1700s, who told tales of an egg-laying hare that rewarded good children. Over the centuries, building nests for colored eggs has been replaced with decorating candy-filled baskets.
Every Easter at WMODA, Luis and Nini Montanez raise money and create Easter baskets filled with fluffy bunnies, toys, and candy for underserved children, which they donate to the Caring Place in Hollywood. This spring, they are following their Easter giving ritual with a Mother’s Day lunch on May 8th for 50 moms in need. Their ongoing fundraising initiatives throughout the year bring joy to many families in our community.
Hop into WMODA with your family during Easter Weekend from April 3 to 5 and follow the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland around the museum. Down, down, down in our rabbit hole, you will find a pair of rabbits dressed as a jaded Victorian couple, a bunny-shaped teapot, and a witch holding a wet rabbit from Michele Coxon’s children’s story One Wet Worried White Rabbit.
Our cute ceramic bunnies are irresistible, but not everyone considers rabbits to be lucky. Traditionally, fishermen avoided saying “rabbit” at sea because it was believed to invite dangerous storms or shipwrecks. In the days of sailing ships, rabbits were kept on board for food and would gnaw through wooden hulls, creating structural dangers.
This brings us back to fish, Poisson d’Avril on April 1st, and the strange French custom of pinning a paper fish on the back of a prank victim. Some sources suggest people were confused when the start of the New Year was shifted from the end of March to January 1 under the Gregorian calendar, which France adopted in 1582. By the 1700s in Europe, it was traditional to send the victim on a fool’s errand, a sort of wild goose chase, with an important letter addressed to a named person, containing the words “send the fool further” to make fun of them.
There are various explanations for the fish, including the transition of the Pisces zodiac sign at the advent of spring in pagan times and the Christian season of Lent, when fish is the only permitted meat. Essentially, Poisson d’Avril symbolized an easily caught fish and, by extension, a gullible person. Over the years, the April fish tradition became mingled with Valentine’s Day and mischievous friends sent pretty cards mixed with gentle humor and a large fish!
While at WMODA this spring, check out all the fun fish in our new Splash exhibit. The velvet Joyful Fish by Anna Paola Cibin are exquisitely painted and embellished with gold leaf and murrine glass, while Ardmore’s whimsical fish travelers always raise a smile. You can also purchase Alex Meiklejohn’s comical miniature fish, hand-thrown on the potter’s wheel, and gorgeous little glass fish from Murano, presented by Matchless Glass. Whatever your customs and traditions, and whether you prefer fish or rabbits, we hope April Fool’s Day brings you lots of happiness and good fortune.
Watch the first televised April Fool’s hoax in Britain in 1957.
Hop through history at WMODA
Rabbiting On
Hop in and Help