Malaysian April Fool’s Day!!!

Do you know how April Fool’s day started? The summary of it is that a group of people celebrated New Year’s Day on the 1st of April instead of the 1st of January. So others used to play pranks on these people for celebrating New Year’s on the wrong day…..thus creating April Fool’s day as we know it.

Read 27th December 2006 Malay Mail, Page 6, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adman Tengku Mansor announces that the Malaysian Governtment has decided to postponed New Year’s Eve celebrations till the 6th of January. Why? Because it clashes with Hari Raya Haji….wooooooo apparently it must be a solemn occasion or something because we simply cannot celebrate it in conjunction with New Year’s Eve which is a happily bright occasion.

Normally when celebrations clash we have things like Deepa-Raya or Gong Xi Raya…….but that only happens with celebrations. I guess Hari Raya Haji is not a celebration so it cannot be tied with the happy celebration of New Year’s Eve.

I would have thought that tourism would be boosted with BIGGER celebrations on New Year’s Eve to celebrate both New Year’s and Hari Raya Haji together. I’m only a fresh grad……but wouldn’t a huge celebration entice more tourists to come and experience this gala that is not likely to be found anywhere else? Maybe I’m just too money minded.

So fellow Malaysians, our New Year shall begin on the 7th of January……….see the similarities with April Fool’s day?