April Fool's Day is traditionally a day to play practical jokes on others,
send people on fool's errands, and fool the unsuspecting. No one knows
how this holiday began but it was thought to have originated in France.
In the 16 century, New Year's was celebrated on March 25 and celebrations
lasted until April 1st. When New Year’s Day as changed from March 25 to
January 1st in the mid-1560's by King Charles IX, there were some people who
still celebrated it on April 1st and those people were called April Fools.
Each country celebrates April Fool’s differently. In France, the April Fool’s
is called "April Fish" (Poisson d'Avril). The French fool their friends by
taping a paper fish to their friends’ backs and when some discovers a this
trick, they yell "Poisson d’Avril"!
In England, tricks can be played only in the morning. If a trick is played on
you, you are a "noodle". In Scotland, April Fools Day is 48 hours long and you
are called an "April Gowk", which is another name for a cuckoo bird. The second
day in Scotland’s April Fool's is called Taily Day and is dedicated to pranks
involving the buttocks. Taily Day's gift to posterior posterity is the
still-hilarious "Kick Me" sign.
In Portugal, April Fool's is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before Lent.
The traditional trick there is to throw flour at your friends.
In America, Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the
first of April. One common trick, is pointing down to a friend's shoe and saying,
"Your shoelace is untied." Even though, the origin is unknown, it’s fun to see
how different countries celebrate this "foolish" holiday.
