In sixteenth-century France, the start of the new year was
observed on April first. It was celebrated in much the same way
as it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of
the night. Then in 1562, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar
for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first.
There were some people, however, who hadn't heard or didn't
believe the change in the date, so they continued to celebrate
New Year's Day on April first. Others played tricks on them and
called them "April fools." They sent them on a
"fool's errand" or tried to make them believe that
something false was true. In France today, April first is called
"Poisson d'Avril." French children fool their friends
by taping a paper fish to their friends' backs. When the
"young fool" discovers this trick, the prankster yells
"Poisson dAvril!" (April Fish!)
Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers
alike on the first of April. One common trick on April Fool's
Day, or All Fool's Day, is pointing down to a friend's shoe and
saying, "Your shoelace is untied." Teachers in the
nineteenth century used to say to pupils, "Look! A flock of
geese!" and point up. School children might tell a classmate
that school has been canceled. Whatever the trick, if the
innocent victim falls for the joke the prankster yells,
"April Fool! "
The "fools' errands" we play on people are practical
jokes. Putting salt in the sugar bowl for the next person is not
a nice trick to play on a stranger. College students set their
clocks an hour behind, so their roommates show up to the wrong
class - or not at all. Some practical jokes are kept up the whole
day before the victim realizes what day it is. Most April Fool
jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone. The most
clever April Fool joke is the one where everyone laughs,
especially the person upon whom the joke is played.
"The first of April is the day we remember what
we are the other 364 days of the year. " |
- American humorist Mark Twain |