It is that time of the year to be on your guard, to not trust and fall a victim to the pranks and hoaxes of your classmates and colleagues.
April Fool’s day is one day dedicated to jovial tricking of everyone. People indulge in light-hearted fun, staging silly pranks for their friends. The deliberate planning and plotting to catch your friends off guard is matched by an equal measure of defensive techniques. Everyone has at least one winning tale of how he made an April Fool out of someone or an embarrassing story of how he was made an unsuspecting April Fool by someone. Everyone has also numerous tales of failed/foiled attempts. The happy memories help elevate the pressures of daily life. The funny pranks make for interesting stories of bruised egos and gullible confidence. Everyone gears up for some smart moves to pull on friends also getting ready and on the lookout, to avoid being made an April Fool.
History
The origin of April Fool’s is attributed to various incidents in history. One such incident was changing of New Year in 1582 from 25 March to 1 January, in France. People who were unaware of the change were mocked of not being ‘in the know’ and were made fun of. The feast of fools was celebrated even before this incident called the poisson d’avril, having a literal meaning ‘April fish’. The pranks common for the April Fool’s day is pinning /sticking the paper to other person’s back or making deliberate lies and plots to make fools out of people. The prank is declared by saying ‘April Fool’ loudly, as everyone joins in the frivolous fun of the April Fool’s day.
Tradition
April Fool’s is associated with a variety of pranks in different countries. In the Nordic countries, the April Fool’s is marked by publishing at least one false news in the newspapers. In Ireland, a letter is given to an unsuspecting person to be delivered to some important person. The letter is then forwarded to another person and so on. The letter when finally opened has the words ’send the fool further’.
Importance today
It’s a rare occasion that people of all nations come together, join in one sentiment of flippant joy. The pranks have been played by such global platforms as BBC. Now as the world has come knitted closer in the web of the internet, the lies and hoaxes have a reach like never before. The silly pranks can affect and spread joys to many people at once. So, coming April Fool’s day, don’t believe everything you hear or see. Cross check any news or information that might lead to your embarrassment and avoid becoming the April Fool for this year. Also, keep plotting smart pranks to pull on your more gullible friends. Nothing beats the triumphant ecstasy of having pulled a successful trick. You will get a story that can be narrated over drinks and shared in parties, celebrating the wit you displayed.
