April Fools Day

April Fool’s Day is quite popular and celebrated by many countries so probably everyone has heard about it and recognizes it as a day full of jokes. But have you ever considered who started it and what is exactly April Fool’s Day for?

The beginning is uncertain but beliefs say it started in the sixteenth century, around 1582 in Europe as an side effect of introducing new calendar called the Gregorian Calendar by Charles IX. As a result January 1st became the first day of the year. But many people didn't hear about it, others didn't want to accept changes and they were continuing to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1st. This is the reason why there were called fools and they became the victims of several jokes just like invitations for fake parties or stumble across salt in the sugar box. There are other sources that say April Fools' Day comes from pre-Christian times, when the first day of May was the sign of coming summer, time to treat the plants and those who were doing it prematurely; they were called „April fools”.

After playing trick the fool should say „April Fool”. It's a signal for a victim who realizes the true. Generally the whole celebration is done in the sense of humor and doesn't accept any true harm, so we should be careful in our hoaxes although the stranger joke is the better joke. Success is achieved if our victim falls in joke even for a moment.

But in several countries April Fool’s Day may look different. For example: In Mexico it is celebrated in December 28. In England jokes are played only till midday. Moreover that day requires special vocabulary. For example if you are fool you are called 'gob', but a trick can be also played on you, in that situation you are a noodle. In France this day is called a fish and regular hoax is to send friends a present made up in the form of the fish. In Scotland this day is called Gowkie Day or Hunt the Gowk and it lasts for 48 hours. Our Polish „prima aprilis” is from Latin, which obviously means April First. Various hoaxes are prepared by people, the media (which sometimes cooperate to make the "information" more official) and even public institutions.

That was history and culture part, but now we can go to a more pleasant thing: jokes.

The typical jokes include setting every clock in the house in the wrong time, putting toothpaste between the sides of cookies ect. but I picked out for you the 7 biggest jokes I liked from the worlds list:

1. Alabama Changes the Value of Pi

On Aprils 1998 issue of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter you could read an information that the Alabama State legislature decided in democratic voting to change the value of pi from 3,14159 to the 'Biblical value' of 3,0. Alabama legislature ended getting hundreds of calls from people protesting against this change.

2.The Left-Handed Whopper

Also in 1998 Burger King announced the information of a new sandwich in their offer: Left-Handed Whooper especially created for 32 million of left-handed Americans. The Whopper included the same ingredients as the original one, they were only rotated about 180 degrees. The best thing is that a lot of people requested that kind of sandwich, and the others were ordering normal Whoppers „their own right handed version”.

3. The Derbyshire Fairy

Lebanon Circle Magic posted on March 2007 a few pictures of an 8-inch mummified creature resembling a fairy! Accompanying article explained the creature has been found by a man walking along an old road in Derbyshire. Text and images spread fast around the internet and portal received a lot of mails and even more visitors on their page. Next day the author and owner of the site – Dan Baines confessed to reporters and his followers that was a hoax and the creature was made by himself, but even after he said the truth, he continued to receive numerous emails from enthusiasts of little fairy.

4. Big Ben Goes Digital

The BBC reported that Big Ben was going to be changed for a digital version. The British were shocked and BBC ended getting loads of mails and calls from angry people. Can you imagine digital Big Ben?

5. YouTube... 100 years old.

You could feel shocked using YT this year on Aprils First, because all films were changed with special filter making them to look and sound older.

6. World of End Tomorrow

On March 31, 1940 people could read horrible information, as the Franklin Institute announced - the world would end the next day. The radio station KYW seized on the information and started to spread panic with such a message: "Your worst fears that the world will end are confirmed (...) the world will end at 3 P.M. Eastern Standard Time tomorrow. This is no April Fool joke.(...)"
The reaction was immediate and history spread around people. The author of the joke – William Castellini was the Institute's press agent and he „just” intended to use the fake information to show his new book at the institute titled „How Will the World End?”. After this cause, the Institute dismissed Castellini.

7. Introducing Gmail Motion

And 5 from Poland this year:

1. Nobel Prize in Literature for Jaroslaw Kaczynski...

...for report about Poland – 116 pages of deep analysis.

link: http://www.tokfm.pl/Tokfm/1,103087,9359855,PO__Kaczynski_do_literackiego_Nobla__Za__Raport_o.html

2. Our president shaved his moustache!

Because his wife ordered him to do it. Info from http://www.fakt.pl/Komorowski-bez-wasow-zona-kazala-mu-zgolic,artykuly,100087,1.html

3. Malysz will play in.. Ranczo

Our popular Adam will play in a special episode of Ranczo – Polish series. It is the news from se.pl, source: http://www.se.pl/seriale/ranczo-adam-malysz-zagra-w-serialu_178363.html

4. Our government will fight against... sugar pirates!

Minister of agriculture announced that he will fight against illegal plantation of while beets . He said that illegal farmers should be aware of consequences like destroying crops, forfeit and even jail since money from selling sugar can be used to financing terrorism and he announced strict controls in sugar factories.

News from http://www.bankier.pl/wiadomosc/Rzad-bedzie-walczyl-z-piractwem-cukrowym-2307699.html

5. Teleportation became a reality.

As TP S.A announced – in Orange Labs in Issy-les-Moulineaux, after three years of research scientists were able to accomplish first teleportation in the history. They have sent 50 cent coins between two special portals.
http://www.blog.tp.pl/korporacyjny/entry/teleportacja_sta%C5%82a_si%C4%99_faktem

Do you know any cool jokes perfect for April Fools' Day, what is your favorite one?

Do you like this holiday or you would like to stop it ?

Which joke from presented ones you liked the most?

What pranks do you consider inappropriate?

More:
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoaxipedia/April_Fools_Day_-_Origin/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/