April Fool's Day

April Fools likely originated in 16th century France, where the start of the New Year was observed on April 1st until, in 1562, Pope Gregory introduced the new Christian calendar where the new year fell on January 1st. Some people, however, didn’t hear or didn’t believe the change, and continued to celebrate New Years on April 1st. Others would then play tricks on them (April Fools).

In France, April Fools was traditionally celebrated by placing dead fish on the backs of friends. Today, real fish have been replaced by fish shaped stickers, which are stuck to the back of one’s shirt. This arises from the fact that the April sun ends the zodiacal sign of the 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 shoelace 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 nest person is not a nice trick to play. College students set their clocks an hour behind, so their roommates show up to the wrong class - or not at all. 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.