April Fools’ Day

April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day is a holiday celebrated in various countries on April 1. The day is marked by hoaxes and other practical jokes on friends, family members, neighbors, and coworkers. The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1392). Many historians believe that the establishment of January 1 as New Year’s Day in the 16th century was responsible for the creation of the April Fools’ Day, but this theory does not explain earlier references.

In the Middle Ages, New Year’s Day was celebrated on March 25 in most European towns. In some areas of France, New Year’s was a week-long holiday ending on April 1. So it is possible that April Fools originated because those who celebrated on January 1 made fun of those who celebrated on other dates.

Other prank days in the world

Iranians play jokes on each other on the 13th day of the Persian new year (Norouz), which falls on April 1 or April 2. This day, celebrated as far back as 536 BC, is called Sizdah Bedar and is the oldest prank-tradition in the world still alive today; this fact has led many to believe that April Fools’ Day has its origins in this tradition.

The April 1 tradition in France and French-speaking Canada includes poisson d’avril (literally “April’s fish”), attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim’s back without being noticed. This is also widespread in other nations, such as Italy where the term Pesce d’aprile (literally “April’s fish”) is also used to refer to any jokes done during the day. In Spanish-speaking countries, similar pranks are practiced on December 28, día de los Santos Inocentes, the “Day of the Holy Innocents”.
In Poland, prima aprilis (”April 1″ in Latin) is a day full of jokes; various hoaxes are prepared by people, media (which sometimes cooperate to make the “information” more credible) and even public institutions.

In Scotland, April Fools’ Day is traditionally called Hunt-the-Gowk Day (”gowk” is Scots for a cuckoo or a foolish person).