April Fools’ Day: The history of the holiday

[rockin'robin]

Consider yourself warned. Sunday is April Fools' Day, a day when you are encouraged to pull pranks on loved ones, co-workers, casual acquaintances, and even that one guy at the bus stop. It's an odd tradition, but how did it get started? What's the history of April Fools' Day, anyway?

Nobody is completely sure about the origin of this, the silliest of holidays. However the urban legend experts at Snopes.com say that most experts give credit to Pope Gregory XIII, who, in the 1500s, gave the world the Gregorian calendar.

In 1562, the Gregorian calendar moved the first day of the year from April 1 to January 1. Word did eventually get around, but some people were a bit slow to hear the news. These folks continued celebrating the new year on April 1, unaware that they were now three months behind the times. These "April fools" were tricked by those in the know. The tradition eventually made its way to the USA.

And it's still going strong. Over the past week, Web searches on "april fools day jokes" and "april fools day pranks" have more than doubled, and related lookups for "easy april fools day pranks" and "april fools day jokes for work" also spiked. Bottom line: Keep your guard up, especially if somebody offers you a word search puzzle. Lookups for "impossible april fools day word searches" are up 200%.

But really, there is no way to be certain you'll escape trickery. Because on April 1, even corporations are out to trick you. In 1998, Burger King tricked its customers by releasing "the left-handed Whopper." In 1957, the BBC reported Swiss farmers were harvesting spaghetti from trees. And in 1996, Taco Bell took out ads in major newspapers announcing that the company had purchased the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell. Shudder.

April Fools

 

[cdmeggers]

the history's kinda cool. I more than likely will be staying home with no pranks going on.

 

[rockin'robin]

My boys are pranksters....so I'm always on my guard on April Fool's Day....one of my boys sleeps so deeply and hard, last year I drew him a mustache and goatee and even colored his eyebrows and toe nails. He slept right thru it and when he woke up, it was hilarious with his hair all sticking up.

 

[DeafTim]

One time, I told my mother there is a dead turkey behind the house..She believed me and she went out back.. I yelled April Fools Day!!!

 

[SneakerNet]

The wildest prank I did at work few years ago, there are 5 IT guys sit in the same office. I re-programmed all 5 phones to make it autoforward to cell phone. When one of the employee call for help, he call Tim's phone but it autoforward to Brad's cell phone, and when someone call for Brad, it's autoforward to David's cell phone, and when someone call for Brad, it autoforward to Steve's phone... and so on. Everyone said...Hi Brad! Steve said..this is not Brad! This is Steve, and someone said..Hi Tim, I need help! and, Brad said, This is not Tim! and everone said..."WTF!!!" Everyone was confused....They scramble trying to figure out what went wrong!! I walk in the office and said..."You suckers, april fool!!"

 

[WhiteWolves64]

The wildest prank I did at work few years ago, there are 5 IT guys sit in the same office. I re-programmed all 5 phones to make it autoforward to cell phone. When one of the employee call for help, he call Tim's phone but it autoforward to Brad's cell phone, and when someone call for Brad, it's autoforward to David's cell phone, and when someone call for Brad, it autoforward to Steve's phone... and so on. Everyone said...Hi Brad! Steve said..this is not Brad! This is Steve, and someone said..Hi Tim, I need help! and, Brad said, This is not Tim! and everone said..."WTF!!!" Everyone was confused....They scramble trying to figure out what went wrong!! I walk in the office and said..."You suckers, april fool!!"