In England, it had become a popular prank to send gullible victims to the Tower of London to see the washing of the lions – a ceremony that didn’t exist. They report a least one outrageous fictional claim published amidst other articles in order to fool their audiences. In modern times, news outlets have participated in the 1 April tradition by going to great lengths to create elaborate hoaxes. As for the Spanish, the day of pranks is celebrated on 28 December as Holy Innocents’ Day, during which no one can be held accountable for their actions, as the pranksters are considered innocent. On this day, people throw flour onto unsuspecting passers-by. The Portuguese don’t celebrate April Fools’ Day on 1 April and prefer the Sunday and Monday prior to Lent. Spain and Portugal both celebrate on different days. The first day is celebrated by pranking people, while the second - known as Tailie Day - is when people place tails on each other’s backs. This has led some to think April Fool’s was originally associated with being a cuckold. It is called Gowkie Day, for the gowk - or cuckoo - a symbol of the fool. Significantly more fun are April Fools’ Day festivities in Scotland, which last two days.
Handy for parents trying to keep their kids in check, but come on – loosen up, lads. Anyone playing a joke after midday is considered the official April fool. Pranks and jokes are only permitted until noon, the etiquette states that when the clock strikes noon, you are meant to come clean about your pranks. Many suggest that the fish might refer to young animals which are easily caught.Īpril Fools’ Day is only celebrated for half a day in England. In France, Belgium, Italy and French-speaking areas of Switzerland, the celebrations include sticking a paper fish onto the backs of as many people as possible without being noticed, and then yelling “Poisson d’Avril” / “Pesce d’Aprile” (“April fish!”). The first definite reference comes from a 1561 Flemish comical poem by Eduard de Dene, in which a nobleman sends his servant back and forth on annoying, fruitless errands.įrench postcard celebrating 1 April Public Domaineĭifferent countries have their own unique ways of pranking their April Fools victims. What is the first definite reference to April Fool’s Day? Known as the Festival of Colours, the annual occasion is meant to honour the arrival of spring and the Hindu god Krishna through food, dancing and the throwing of paint powder. Others have pointed out that the Holi festival in India, which also takes place in March, could be the source of the day. It was the opportunity for disguised commoners to imitate nobility to devious ends without any repercussions. Festivities included games, people dressing up in disguises and mocking their neighbours. Historians have linked April Fools’ Day to spring festivals such as the medieval Feast of Fools, wherein a Lord of Misrule was elected to parody Christian rituals, and Hilaria (Latin for 'joyful'), which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March by followers of Phrygian goddess Cybele and her devotee Attis. After 1 January was officially adopted as New Year's Day, those who forgot to change the date and continued to celebrate on 1 April were ridiculed and labelled April Fools. Before then, New Year festivities culminated on 1 April. Many trace the custom back to medieval France where 25 March used to be New Year's Day until the Julian calendar was reformed in 1564 and changed to the Gregorian calendar.
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