April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day History

April Fool's Day is a light-hearted comedic day of cheers, practical jokes, and hoaxes. It has been observed for centuries although its origins still remain unclear. It has been suggested that in ancient Roman and Hindu cultures, the day originally marked New Year’s Day. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued the Gregorian calendar which moved New Year’s Day from April 1st to January 1st. It is believed that those who continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1st were referred to as fools, leading to the concept of April 1st representing All Fool’s Day. It has also been suggested that April Fool's Day is related to the vernal equinox, the beginning of spring, when Mother Nature plays sudden weather tricks on people.

The custom of April Fool's was brought from Britain to the US centuries ago. Both kids and adults in North America and in Europe have developed traditional customs to celebrate the day. These typically include fooling another person and yelling April fools.

Facts about April Fool's Day

• 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.
• Traditionally, pranksters shout April Fools as they reveal the joke. In the United Kingdom, jokes can only be played until midday. If someone plays a joke after midday, then they are the April Fool. In Ireland, tradition was to deliver an important letter to a person, who would then deliver the letter to another person, and so on. Once finally opened, the letter would say send the fool further.
• For April Fool's Day 2022, the toy company Little Tikes, posted on their site a new product for kids named “My First Cubicle.” The set included an office chair, desk, drawers, cups, wall calendars, and a water dispenser. It was made so kids can “work hard and play harder,” as it prepares kids for the corporate world.
• Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me - Chinese Proverb

In the News and Trending in the US for April Fool's Day

Top things to do in the US for April Fool's Day

• 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.
• You can use social media like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to dupe your friends and family. Celebrities have been fooled on April Fools Day by fake news that is propelled by fans on social media.
• Watch a hidden-camera or practical joke TV show. Our top 3 picks:
  1) Punk’d
  2) Just for Laughs: Gags
  3) Impractical Jokers