April Fool’s Day. Credit: Pixabay, atanaspaskalev
Every year on April 1, millions take part in pranks, hoaxes and light-hearted mischief across the globe. But what sparked this centuries-old tradition?
One popular theory traces the origins of April Fools back to to 16th-century France, when the country adopted the Gregorian calendar. New Year celebrations shifted from April 1 to January 1, and those who continued celebrating in April were mocked and tricked – possibly giving rise to the tradition, according to a Marca report.
Where is April Fool’s Day celebrated?
April Fool’s Day is widely observed in the United States, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, where social media and press often join in with jokes and spoof headlines.
In France and Belgium, it’s known as Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish – children stick paper fish on each other’s backs. In Scotland, it’s celebrated for two days as Hunt-the-Gowk Day where pranks are played on one another.
Meanwhile, Spain has its own prank day – Día de los Santos Inocentes – held on December 28. It shares the same spirit, with media and individuals playing tricks and publishing fake stories.
Iconic April Fool’s Day pranks over the years
One of the most memorable media hoaxes came in 1957, when the BBC aired a Panorama segment on Swiss families ‘harvesting’ spaghetti from trees. ‘Spaghetti was not a common dish in the UK at the time,’ the BBC notes, explaining why many viewers believed it was real.
In the 1970s, The Guardian ran a detailed guide to the fictional island of ‘San Serriffe,’ shaped like a semicolon and named after a font.
Celebrity pranks for April Fool’s Day
While several media outlets have pulled back from April Fool’s Day stories due to concerns about fake news, celebrities and brands are keeping the spirit alive.
In 2019, James Corden tricked David Beckham by swapping his real LA Galaxy statue with a much less flattering version. Beckham called it “embarrassing” and asked the crew to stop filming before the prank was revealed.
In 2022, Tom Daley released a spoof product line of knitted willy warmers, claiming they would “keep your pecker perky and piping hot all year round.”
Way back in 1989, Richard Branson nearly got arrested after flying a UFO-shaped hot air balloon over London. The craft, complete with flashing lights and a fake alien, caused police and even the army to assemble.
April Fool’s Day and the worry of fake news
With rising concerns about fake news, some media outlets are stepping back. Cardiff University’s Stuart Allan told the BBC, “We are enmeshed in an era of fake news and disinformation, where matters of trust are at the forefront of editors’ minds.”
Jim Waterson, editor of London Centric, agrees: “Publishing fake news to purposefully trick readers and then saying it’s all a joke doesn’t really work well when you spend the rest of the year banging on about how much trusted facts matter.”
Still, media expert Richard Thomas argues that the decline of good-natured pranks feels like a loss: “In a world where happy news is often at a premium, that does seem a shame, somehow.”
Interestingly, Brits are facing what is being called “Awful April” in news reports due to the rise in council tax, water and energy prices from today, April 1. Perhaps it’s a prank? Sadly, not likely at all.
Seen any great April Fool’s Day pranks? Please share them below.
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