April Fools

April Fool's Day History

April Fool's Day, also known as All Fools' Day, is an annual observance celebrated by playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. The jokes and their victims are called 'April fools'. People partaking in the holiday will often expose their prank by shouting, "April Fool’s!" at the recipient. Though observed worldwide, its roots are believed to be closely linked to European culture and traditions.

April Fool's Day is unclear in origin but it is mostly considered to have begun in the late 16th century. It is surmised that it started when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, causing New Year's Day to change from April 1 to January 1. Those who continued to celebrate on April 1 were labeled as 'fools'. In the European Union (EU), this tradition has grown over centuries with each member state adding a unique touch to the observance, making it a rich part of the European cultural heritage.

In the EU, April Fool's Day is celebrated in various ways in different countries. The French are well known for 'April Fish', where they attach a paper fish to someone's back without them realizing. In the United Kingdom, media outlets partake by broadcasting fictional news pieces. This playful day of creating light-hearted hoaxes and good-natured pranks takes place annually on April 1.

Facts about April Fools

• For April Fool's Day 2022, 7-Eleven announced a new product line named Tiny Gulp. The Tiny Gulp holds 0.7 ounces and only cost 7 cents, perfect for those who want a tiny taste of soda or slushie.
• in 2023, Duolingo announced their "Duolingo for Pets" program, teaching pets new languages with the help of birdseed and catnip rewards.
  For April Fool's Day 2022, Twitter announced that they are working on an “Edit-Tweet” button, which would let users go back to previous tweets to correct typos.
• In France, it is referred to as "Poisson d’Avril," or "April Fish." Children tape a picture of a fish on the back of their friends and then scream "Poisson d’Avril!" when the picture is discovered.
• In Portugal, they celebrate the “Dia dos Enganos” (Day of Mistakes), during which people throw flour at each other.

In the News and Trending in the EU for April Fools

Top things to do in the EU for April Fools

• Stay on guard! You will surely be the victim of a prank during April Fools' Day, so be extra-careful of pranksters looming around you.
• One of the best ways to fool someone on April Fools' Day is to call them first thing in the morning. This way, they are less likely to realize that it is April Fools' Day. Our top 3 phone call pranks:
  1) Breaking news - create a fictional breaking news item about politics, celebrities, events in your city, etc.
  2) You're late for work - tell your friend that the time is 11AM and they aren't at work or school yet.
  3) Escaped monkey - a monkey from the local zoo is wandering in the backyard. You just saw a news clip of the monkey on the local news.
• In Scotland, it’s a two-day event known as “hunting the gowk” (the cuckoo), and if you are tricked, you are known as an “April gowk”.
• Jokes on Portobello Bridge in Dublin, Ireland - The people of Dublin annually perform pranks on the famous Portobello Bridge. Pranks are typically harmless and meant to cause laughter and surprise among bystanders.