Although April Fools' Day is not official holiday, but it's customary to play the hoaxes on people that day in the many countries. It is possible there is no one who was not cheated at least once on April Fools' Day, and such tricks make our life more funny and vivid.

Fools' Day history

Why do we celebrate Fools' Day on April? In 1983, "Associated Press" agency declared that Joseph Boskin from Boston University hit on the following fact: it happened in Roman Empire, when a courtier buffoon said publicly to Emperor Constantine that fools could administer better than emperor could. Constantine issued an edict where he ordered to let fools govern one day per annum. First of emperors-fools gave order - on April 1 people must forget about seriousness, only fooling around and joking on one another. But this sensational discovery was only a hoax, the first April joke.

It's thought, that April 1 celebrated in many countries as a day of vernal equinox when jokes, pranks and funny tricks accompanied the observances.

By another version, before introduction the Gregorian calendar by Charles IX in France, New Year celebrated in March. After this event, the most conservative of people continued New Year celebration by old calendar but the others were making fun of them, calling the April's Fools.

Fools' Day Celebration

In Great Britain, April Fools' Day continues from midnight to midday, on April 1, and everybody can joke on the friends.

In France, this day has name Poisson d'Avril (April fish). Children attach the paper fish on the backs of their friends, and when an object of derision has found the fish, the funster cries "Poisson d'Avril!"

In German and Austria, April 1 is considered as unhappy day. By legend, Judah was born and Satan had been overthrown from heaven to earth that day. Nobody worked and started new affairs that day, only cheated and sent one another to do something impracticable (for example, to buy gnat's grease).

In United States, the small inoffensive jokes are widespread, such as "your shoelace has come undone". Students in dormitories put forwards the clocks of their roommates. In schools, the jokes about cancelled lessons are very often on April Fools' Day.

In some countries of Latin America, the Fool's Day celebrates not on April 1, but on December 28 and has name The Day of Holy Innocents.

Some of Fools' Day Hoaxes

Many newspapers, radio and television stations joke on people on April Fools' Day.

In 1957, BBC reported of the undreamt-of spaghetti harvest in Switzerland. This report was the reason of huge wave of phone calls with questions and requests to answer how to force spaghetti

In 1962, in Sweden, was only one television channel, black-and-white as well. The technical specialist of the channel said that it's very easy to turn black-and-white image in color one - only pull a nylon stocking on the screen. Lots of viewers followed this advice.

In 1980, BBC reported that Big Ben will be modernized, and its clock-face will be changed on digital one. Japan BBC department announced that hands of the clock would be sold to first four people who will phone to studio.

In 1994, American radio station National Public Radio announced that everybody who will make a tattoo on any of ears in the form of Pepsi logotype would get the lifelong 10% discount for all of Pepsi output.

In 1998, "New Mexicans for Science and Reason" magazine published the article about the intention of Alabama's administration, which was going to change the value of pi from 3.14159 to 3.0 because of the present value is non-Christian.

In 1999, newspaper "Phoenix New Times" reported about the new charity organization, which has one aim - to help poor people, not with food and shelters but providing with guns and ammunition.