April Fool's Day

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. " - American humorist Mark Twain

A little history to teach your students:

The First April Fool's Day

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.

Poisson d'Avril

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 d’Avril!" (April Fish!)

April Fool's Day in the USA

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! "

April Fool's Day Jokes

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.


By Mary Bellis, About.com


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