April Fools

April 1 is celebrated as April Fools Day worldwide, but many may wonder how it came to be or what happened to create a day filled with pranks and jokes.

Our favourite hoaxes over the years—plus an article that now reads like one. Spot the intruder | The Economist reads.

In 1998 we made the case for child-free zones on all [planes and in restaurants](/leaders/1998/12/03/mums-the-word). ■ [More from The Economist reads](https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/) [Five non-fiction graphic books on lives in dangerous locations](/the-economist-reads/2023/03/31/five-non-fiction-graphic-books-on-lives-in-dangerous-locations) In the second, in 2006, the firm had pieced together the genomes for a range of mythological creatures, including [dragons](/science-and-technology/2006/03/30/here-be-dragons). And the third, in 2012, had readers excited about the possibility of [printing their own pets](/science-and-technology/2012/03/30/just-press-print). In 2009 we announced that The Economist was building its own theme park, called “ [Econoland](/britain/2009/03/31/the-economist-group-expands)”, which would combine the magic of the fair with the excitement of macroeconomics. In 1987 we called the 24-hour clock “inefficient” and advocated a move to [decimal time](/news/1987/03/28/time-to-change-time).

With April Fool's Day just around the corner, there'll be plenty of people thinking of pranking their colleagues. But there is a big debate around whether ...

Nobody wants to be a killjoy, but the workplace needs to be a positive environment for everyone not just the pranksters.” But there is a big debate around whether it’s still acceptable for employees to prank each other in the workplace. It is important that they understand both their responsibility and the potential downside associated with inappropriate workplace pranks.

This Saturday collaboration between Wyna Liu and Joel Fagliano looks hard, but it really just looks hard.

[never to be returned](https://www.idioms.online/why-dont-we-have-an-english-word-for-deja-vu/)). A MAILBOX is a stumpy metal receptacle that’s meant to receive correspondence on paper, or “letters,” usually from people of a certain age. The MythBuster is ADAM SAVAGE, and the daughter is EVIE (I chose “Edie” here, at first). This “Word that means the same thing even with letters added” is a pun clue for a MAILBOX. I didn’t know who this “One member of TV’s MythBusters” was, nor did I remember the name of the “Wilcox daughter in ‘Howards End’” — even though I had read the book and watched the [Merchant-Ivory movie](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104454/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) when it came out. Since it’s the date of this puzzle’s publication, the entry here is “Wyna n Joel.” Oh, wait. [How to Make a Crossword Puzzle](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/crosswords/how-to-make-a-crossword-puzzle-the-series.html).” Perhaps you have rested your latte on one when sending a quick email or watching a TikTok while waiting for a traffic light to change. What is a MAILBOX? Fagliano constructed a grid full of peppy entries, and then a neutral party reconciled the two halves. Both are utterances that would answer this clue, “Cry heard on April Fools’ Day,” if they had fit. [SATURDAY PUZZLE](https://www.nytimes.com/column/wordplay) — If a puzzle like this one makes you wonder who makes the rules around here, well, Wyna Liu and Joel Fagliano make up at least 20 percent of The New York Times’s crossword nerve center.

Today and on April 1 in years past, you've no doubt seen a plethora of pranks and practical jokes – you may have even fallen victim to some April Fools ...

One other notable 16th-century mention is the 1508 poem Le Livre de la Deablerie (that's The Book of Devilry to you and me). in 1708, making it at the very least 300 years old. The text says the trick happened "since March began thirty days and two", and April 1 is the 32nd day since the start of March, it's not universally agreed that Chaucer actually meant April 1, let alone deliberately referred to April Fools. The best and most infamous April Fools pranks in history While this is sometimes referred to as the first published mention of April Fools, it's disputed. It mentions "poisson d'Avril" or "April fish", the French term for April Fools.

EB Games Is Selling SALE Bum Bags And Slides · The Murder Of Sonic The Hedgehog Is Out Now (And Very Real) · Among Us' Crewmates Are All Horsemates For This ...

Z ? Get out of the hairiest situations with an ultra-clean shave that brings out your A-game: [March 31, 2023] Each year nearly every side of the industry decides to have a crack at the April Fools Day “fun” with fake news, product launches that will never occur and cruel pranks galore. R (@Razer)

It's April Fools' Day. Enjoy a day of pranking, Cincinnati, and take a look at local brands' best jokes over the years.

[Also that year](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2019/04/01/april-fools-day-2019-best-pranks-cincinnati/3330288002/), Taft's Brewing Co. And, as if [the Cincinnati food scene](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/dining/2023/03/29/greater-cincinnati-restaurant-week-returning-these-restaurants/70051457007/) couldn't get any better, MadTree Brewing Co. [Gold Star's](https://www.cincinnati.com/search/?q=gold+star) April Fools' Day announcement in 2019. Even more surprising than the April Fools' Day prank was "Introducing Who Dey Exotic. Brands, sports teams and news outlets

Each week, the Standard reaches out to Austin's Typewriter Rodeo for a custom poem on Texas topics. By Rebecca BendheimMarch 31, 2023 2:34 pmArts & Culture, ...

Revellers dressed in mock military garb take part in "Els Enfarinats" food-battle in the southeastern Spanish town of Ibi on December 28, 2022, a celebration ...

Sizdah Bedar, which is [said](https://surfiran.com/sizdah-bedar-festival-iran/) to have been [ celebrated as far back as the 5th century BC](https://www.learnpersianonline.com/blog/persian-traditions-sizdah-bedar-13th-day-nowrouz/), is translated as “getting rid of 13,” so it has an appropriately superstitious air. In Brazil, however, April 1 is still the prank day of choice, and they cut straight to the chase by calling it “ [Dia das Mentiras](https://www.brownandhudson.com/news/article/april-fools-day),” or “Day of Lies.” [Day of the Innocents](https://panoramas.secure.pitt.edu/%E2%80%9C%C2%A1inocente-inocente%E2%80%9D-day-innocents-latin-america%E2%80%99s-april-fools%E2%80%99-day),” a late December Catholic feast with extremely un-silly origins that somehow became a day of jokes and pranks. If you don’t get gowked, there’s always an opportunity for humiliation the next day, which is “Tailie Day.” Tailie Day is for largely harmless derrière-related pranks, like pinning a tail on someone or sticking a sign on their back. However, research did turn up a [fantastic parting phrase](https://www.tbnpolska.tv/newsy/prima-aprilis-uwazaj-bo-sie-pomylisz) for prankers: Prima Aprilis, uważaj, bo się pomylisz! The “Els Enfarinats” tradition is reportedly more than 200 years old and involves a mock military-style “takeover” of the town, where the new rulers get to make up strange laws that others have to abide by. [one apocryphal origin theory](http://hoaxes.org/af_database/permalink/origin_of_april_fools_day) suggests that when France switched from the Julian calendar to the current Gregorian calendar in the 1500s, people thought it would be funny to jokingly celebrate the old “New Year’s” and make fun of people who forgot the change. Iran could boast the oldest April Fools’ traditions with its observance of Sizdah Bedar, which also has a prank-playing element. [stick paper fish on other people’s backs](https://frenchmoments.eu/april-fools-day-traditions-in-france-le-1er-avril/), kind of like an elevated “kick me” sign. A little flour throwing, a little dancing, and the day of Risk-inspired LARPing is complete. For some cultures, it’s not even relegated to one day in April, cracking the calendar wide open for multi-seasonal chaos. In France, a longstanding tradition is to

Here are some of this year's best April fools pranks that have Australia talking. Huge Anaconda spotted in Buderim Falls. This Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers ...

“Definitely feel for this bloke, he lasted this long in the NRL. I AM HURT BY THIS MEAN JOKE.” The pickle burger would be amazing. Meanwhile another follower said: “Oh no we have a wedding on the boardwalk at 11am right there! Super League would definitely suit him,” another said. This burger would be amazing.

April Fools' Day: Why do we collectively try to mess with others on 1 April, and how do countries celebrate this festival of foolishness?

Only the Netherlands had to be sacrificed on the alter of prank this year. Just to be clear – the rest of this article is based on facts. The Portuguese don’t celebrate April Fools’ Day on 1 April and prefer the Sunday and Monday prior to Lent. The prank first appeared in a British newspaper on 2 April 1698, where an article on the front page read: "Yesterday being the first of April, several persons were sent to the Tower Ditch to see the Lions washed." In 2008, they fooled their audience again with their viral Miracles of Evolution trailer, which appeared to show some special penguins that had regained the ability to fly. In England, it had become a popular prank to send gullible victims to the Tower of London to see the washing of the lions – a ceremony that didn’t exist. Much later on, the BBC infamously reported on 1 April 1957 in a spoof segment that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees. It is called Gowkie Day, for the gowk - or cuckoo - a symbol of the fool. When the person receives the letter, they open it, read it and tell the messenger that they will have to take the letter to another person. April Fools’ Day is only celebrated for half a day in England. Others have pointed out that the Holi festival in India, which also takes place in March, could be the source of the day. Many trace the custom back to medieval France where 25 March used to be New Year's Day until the Julian calendar was reformed in 1564 and changed to the Gregorian calendar.

April Fools' Day is in full swing as the Australian public and brands try and fool each other with both outlandish and sort of believable fake claims.

Now I’m just disappointed that I can’t go and look at it,' one user wrote. An impersonator, Reggie Brown, was dressed and covered in make-up to appear like the former US president. I’m a bit slow this morning. 'Say hello to Farmer Alf! The Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers joined in claiming that a South American anaconda had made its way to the Buderim Falls in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. A South American anaconda spotted outside a trail walk on the Sunshine Coast by the Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers (pictured) was not all it appeared to be Facebook site for Perth locals, Perth is OK, posted a picture of the city's brand new waterfall that had appeared off one of its braches: 'Coogee Falls, only 40 minutes from the Perth CBD!' The award for most people fooled might go to reality TV show, Farmer Wants a Wife, for 'announcing' that Home and Away character, Alf Stewart, would be joining the show (pictured) Some Perth locals were fooled by a social media account that claimed the city was going to be the first Southern Hemisphere city to witness the Aurora Borealis (stock image) 'Perth may be the first city in the southern hemisphere to ever witness the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) due to a rare, once in a lifetime example of extreme tropospheric ducting,' the Facebook page wrote. No fuss. No mess.