APRIL FOOL'S DAY

April 1 or April Fool's Day has become synonymous with prank playing and trickery. Though the origins are a bit foggy, there are a few theories floating around as to where this "day" came from.
What we do know is that, it was the British who first brought the observance to North America. The rest?..... Some hold to the notion that the April Fool is the one who is deceived by Mother nature. Thinking spring has officially sprung unknowing farmers plant seeds and when another frost hits, they are the April Fool for not having waited.
Other theories speak about the year 1582 when the Gregorian calendar was adopted. Some were unaware of the change or too conservative to break tradition celebrated on April 1, the last day of the old 8-day New Year's festival and planted too early. Historians believe it may have started in France. There, the old New Year's festival was observed from March 25 to April 1 and ended with an exchange of gifts. King Charles IX changed the New Year to January 1 and people who still celebrated the New Year in April were called April fish and sent mock presents.
In France today, April first is called "Poisson d'Avril." French children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' backs. When the "young fool" discovers this trick, the prankster yells "Poisson d'Avril!" (April Fish!)
It also resembles older festivals, such as the Festival Hilaria of ancient Rome (March 25) and the Holi festival of India (ending March 31) and its timing is obviously related to the vernal equinox (March 21), when nature "fools" mankind with sudden changes in the weather.
But where ever it came from it seems completely entrenched within the world’s collective conscience. In England, tricks can be played only in the morning. If a trick is played on you, you are a "noodle". In Scotland, you are called an "April gowk", which is another name for a cuckoo bird. In Portugal, April Fool's is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before Lent. There, the traditional trick is to throw flour at your friends.
April Fool's Day is traditionally a day to play practical jokes on others, send people on fool's errands, and fool the unsuspecting. Some old stunts which are still used today include pinning signs on people's backs, putting salt or pepper in candy, telling people they have a hole in their clothes or food on their face, holding items in place by string, and passing false messages or phone calls.

The media are also notorious for fabricating attention getting headlines….. ?;-)

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