How did the April Fools Day come about?
On the 1st April each year we celebrate the April Fools´ Day, but do you know when it exactly started and why, little scientist? Find it out with us on our blog!
The History
Aprils Fools’ Day, sometimes also called All Fools’ Day, is a celebration that mostly appears in some European and Western countries. This is a day when people play tricks on each other for fun. A trick is like a practical joke or spreading hoaxes. It’s an annual event happening always on April 1st., but the exact origin of April Fool’s Day is unknown however the most popular theory has to do with a change of a calendar. It is believed that April Fool’s Day may started in France when Pope Charles IX changed the calendar to go with the Roman calendar. In France before 1582 the New Year started on April 1st. It was changed to January 1st in 1582. Some of the people there did not know about the change and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1st. Those people were considered “April Fools.”
Fools around the world
April Fools is celebrated in many countries. In France, Italy and Belgium people celebrate April Fools by trying to stick paper fish on someone without them noticing then yell April Fish in their language. In Denmark April Fools is celebrated on May 1st and is called Maj-Kat. In Spanish speaking countries such as Spain and Mexico, April Fools is celebrated on December 28th the Day of Holy Innocents. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.
Nowadays, people have moved to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools’ Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations and Web sites participate in the April 1 tradition of reporting fictional claims that fool their audiences. Here is one of the examples:
“Left-Handed” Whopper — In 1998, Burger King ran an advertisement in USA Today announcing its new “Left-Handed Whopper,” which was specifically designed for left-handed Americans by rotating all condiments exactly 180 degrees. Burger King revealed the hoax the next day but claimed that thousands of customers had requested the new sandwich at their restaurants!”
April Fools’ practical jokes should be done in good fun and not meant to harm anyone. The best jokes are the clever ones where everyone laughs, especially the person who had the joke played on them.
We hope, we satisfied your curiosity, little scientists! Keep tuned to our blog if you want to find out more interesting scientific fact and our latest news!
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