On April Fools’ Day I always try to come up with a good practical joke to play on my little brother. Granted, he is over six foot tall, but he will always be my “little brother.” I was curious about the origin of April Fool’s Day and found out it actually dates from 1582 and was spread throughout Europe. Here is what I found courtesy of urban legends.com.
Theories of origin:
The origins of April Fools’ Day are a bit obscure. The most frequently cited theory holds that it dates from 1582, the year France adopted the
Gregorian Calendar, which shifted the observance of New Year’s Day from the end of March (around the time of the
vernal equinox) to the first of January.
According to popular lore some folks, out of ignorance, stubbornness, or both, continued to ring in the New Year on April 1 and were made the butt of jokes and pranks on account of their foolishness. This became an annual tradition, according to this version of events, which ultimately spread throughout Europe. A major weakness of the calendar-change theory is that it fails to account for an historical record replete with traditions linking this time of year to merriment and tomfoolery dating all the way back to antiquity. (Source: Urban Legends.com).
The Romans celebrated a festival on March 25 called
Hilaria, marking the occasion with masquerades and “general good cheer.”
Holi, the Hindu “festival of colors” observed in early March with “general merrymaking” and the “loosening of social norms,” is at least as old. It just might be that the calendrical changes of the 16th and 17th centuries served more as an excuse to enjoy a general spirit of frivolity already associated with the advent of spring than as a direct inspiration for April Fools’ Day. (Source: Urban Legends.com).
Notable April Fools’ Day pranks and hoaxes:
One of the great media hoaxes of all time was perpetrated on April 1, 1957 by the BBC, which reported on its news program
Panorama that Switzerland was experiencing a bumper
spaghetti harvest that year thanks to favorable weather and the elimination of the dread “spaghetti weevil.” Staged
video footage showing happy peasants plucking strands of pasta from tall trees was so convincing that many viewers actually called the network to ask how they could grow their own. This might be a fun one to play on the kids! At dinner tonight we can talk about this cool city in Switzerland that “grows” spaghetti!
In 1996, Taco Bell ran a full-page ad in the
New York Times and announced it had purchased the Liberty Bell and would rename it the “Taco Liberty Bell.” And my favorite is the prank that Burger King did in 1998 where they announced the rollout of its “
Left-Handed Whopper” supposedly designed so that condiments would drip from the right side of the burger rather than the left. I think I might use this one today on my brother! Let’s see if he falls for it!
For the Kids:
Love this idea of making spaghetti and meatballs cupcakes for the kids! The “noodles” are frosting, the “meatballs” are chocolate and the “sauce” is strawberry jam.
What is one of your favorite pratical jokes you’ve played on someone?
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