- April Fools’ Day, also known as All Fools’ Day, is celebrated on April 1st every year.
- The origins of April Fools’ Day are unclear, but some historians trace it back to ancient Roman festivals such as Hilaria and Saturnalia.
- In France, April Fools’ Day is called “Poisson d’Avril” (April Fish) and people traditionally stick paper fish onto each other’s backs as a prank.
- In Scotland, April Fools’ Day is celebrated over two days, with pranks and jokes played on April 1st and 2nd.
- In Iran, April Fools’ Day is celebrated on the 13th day of the Persian new year, which falls in late March or early April.
- In the United States, the media often plays elaborate pranks on April Fools’ Day. For example, in 1957, the BBC reported that spaghetti was growing on trees in Switzerland.
- In 1996, Taco Bell announced that it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Many people believed the prank and were outraged.
- In 2015, Google launched a prank called “Google Maps Pac-Man,” which allowed users to play the classic game on real-life maps.
- The town of Gotham, Nottinghamshire, England, is believed to be the origin of the term “gotham” meaning a foolish person or a trickster.
- In Poland, April Fools’ Day is called “Prima Aprilis” and it’s traditional to tell outrageous lies to friends and family.
- In some countries, such as Brazil, April Fools’ Day is celebrated on the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.
- In the Netherlands, April Fools’ Day is called “1 april kikker in je bil” which translates to “April 1st, frog in your butt.”
- In Italy, April Fools’ Day is called “Pesce d’Aprile,” which means April Fish, and people often attach paper fish to each other’s backs.
- In Japan, April Fools’ Day is called “April Fish Day,” and people often play pranks on each other with fish-related themes.
- In Russia, April Fools’ Day is called “День дураков” (Day of Fools) and people play pranks and practical jokes on each other.
- The first recorded association between April 1st and foolishness is found in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” written in 1392.
