April Fools' Day 2016
Today is April Fools' Day, an international celebration dating back hundreds of years. While its origins are unknown, there is one thing everyone agrees upon: April Fools' Day is a day for friendly fun, hoaxes, and practical jokes! In this week's blog post, we bring you 8 fun facts about April Fools' Day.
1. By the time you read this article, it will be past midday on April 1st which means no more pranking! That's because in the UK pranking stops at midday, after which time, anybody who plays a prank becomes the "fool"!
2. In France, April Fools' Day is called April Fish. Children play a prank on their friends by taping a picture of a fish to their backs!
3. In 1698, London citizens were pranked. They were called to the Tower of London to attend the lion-washing ceremony - which, of cause, was a ceremony that did not exist.
4. There are multiple celebrations in history that fall around the same time in spring, such as the Roman celebration Hilaria, the Hindu celebration Holi, and the Jewish holiday Purim - all of which focus on merriment and fun.
5. Denmark celebrates a "joke day" on May 1st.
6. When Google introduced Gmail on April 1st, 2004, journalists had to contact to them to see if the service was real - it seemed too good to be true at that time, offering 1 gig of space for free.
7. Thomas Edison, recognised for his genius in invention, even got in on the act thanks to the Daily Graphic paper. They published a story saying the inventor had created a machine that could manufacture food out of soil!
8. News broadcasters the world over are known for airing fake news reports on April Fools' Day. But when did this tradition begin? In none other than England with the BBC in 1957. They reported that Switzerland had developed a tree with spaghetti fruit! Viewers even wrote in asking how they could grow such a tree. The Beeb replied: "Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."
Sources:
A brief, totally sincere history of April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day: Origin and History
April Fools' Day - The History of the Fools
Get Ready For Some Fun — April Fool's Day Is Almost Here!
