Exploring April Fools' Day: A Global Tradition of Pranks and Humor
From the charming streets of France to the icy landscapes of Iceland, and across vast stretches of the United States, April Fools’ Day brings a wave of practical jokes and well-crafted hoaxes each year on the first of April. This means you should definitely be wary of suddenly viral posts and keep an eye out for mysteriously appearing sticky notes on your back.
Thousands of jokesters worldwide revel in this centuries-old tradition, though pinning down its exact origins remains a mystery. Depending on geographic location, the antics may vary—from attaching a paper fish to someone’s back to employing a trusty whoopee cushion, or even staging believable reports of flying penguins (yes, that actually happened!).
In the United States, no prank is complete without the traditional shout of “April Fools!” ensuring everyone involved acknowledges their part in the playful mischief.
The Story Behind April Fools’ Day
The genesis of April Fools’ Day is a tapestry of theories, each proposing different but intriguing origins. While none can claim absolute certainty, the day is rooted deep in history.
One popular theory traces back to 1564 France, when King Charles IX shifted the New Year celebrations from their traditional week starting March 25 to a single-day event on January 1, according to the Library of Congress. Those uninformed or resistant to change became the butt of the joke. However, the true history of New Year celebrations is more intricate, with various regions observing it at different times.
Another hypothesis links the day to the 1582 switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. This type of origin story is prevalent among multiple holidays and may simply be a “migratory legend.” Furthermore, a theory associates the day with the March 21 vernal equinox—a time notorious for unpredictable weather, as noted by Encyclopedia Britannica.
Whatever its beginnings, one of the earliest documented mentions is a 1561 poem by Flemish writer Eduard De Dene. Here, a nobleman sends his servant on absurd errands, who soon realizes he’s been set on a “fool’s errand”—a nod to April 1, according to the Library of Congress.
Memorable April Fools’ Day Pranks
In 2021, a mischievous first lady Jill Biden disguised herself as an in-flight attendant, “Jasmine,” on a plane to Washington, doling out ice cream bars in costume before revealing her true identity with laughter and “April Fools!”
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have become iconic for their extravagant April Fools’ Day announcements since their company’s inception over 25 years ago. One year, Google mischievously advertised a position at a fictional lunar research facility. Another time, they humorously proposed adding a “scratch and sniff” feature to their search engine.
In 1992, NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” humorously broadcast that former-President Richard Nixon was running for office again, with a comedian impersonating him, stating, “I never did anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.”
Internationally, a notable prank involved the British BBC World Service claiming in 1980 that Big Ben would become a digital clock called “Digital Dave,” per the UK Parliament.
Global Celebrations of April Fools’ Day
The day is commemorated worldwide through various traditions, from Scotland’s hills to Iceland’s fjords, and beyond to American coasts.
In France, it’s known as “poisson d’avril,” or “April Fish,” marked by children playfully attaching paper fish to each other’s backs—a custom noted by Atlas Obscura.
Scotland has a tradition of celebrating over two days. April 1 is dubbed “Gowkie Day” or “Hunt the Gowk,” terms referring to foolery, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. April 2 is often associated with more tactile pranks, such as affixing “kick me” signs.
In Iceland, the fun aims to have people “hlaupa apríl,” or “make an April run,” by cleverly tricking someone into traveling, sometimes with local media playing along. In 2014, Iceland Review published a spoof report with the headline, “Google Signs Deal with Iceland,” perpetuating the long-standing media tradition of jest.