April Fool's Day: history, features and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

On the first of April, one of the funniest and most merry holidays is celebrated in all countries of the world. On this day, people play pranks on each other with impunity and kindly, or simply seek to amuse others. This holiday has several names: Day of Humor, Laughter or Fool. But why April 1 is April Fool's Day? What is the history of this fun day? Why is it celebrated all over the world and what does it have to do with it?

Fun Day Story

Love for pranks and jokes is characteristic of people regardless of religion, nationality, social status and cultural differences.

The mystery of the origin of the April Fool's Day has not yet been revealed. However, there are many versions. Here are some of the most common ones:

• The history of the holiday dates back to the time of Ancient Rome. It was celebrated in mid-February and was called the Day of Fools.
• The Celts also had a tradition of celebrating April Fool's Day and celebrated itthe first of April, and dedicated to the god of laughter and fun Lud.
• In the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII moved the celebration of the new year from April 1st to January 1st. However, some people did not know about it and continued to celebrate it in the old way. They became known as "April Fools". This is how April Fool's Day was born.
• Many nations had a pagan tradition to celebrate the beginning of spring. And she is a fickle lady and very changeable. Therefore, the rituals were very similar: they wore clothes inside out, put on unpaired shoes, smeared themselves with paints, wore ridiculous costumes.
• According to another version, the Day of fun and laughter was first celebrated in France. The expression "April fish" is mentioned in poems and poems as early as the 16th century. For example, in the diary of an eminent nobleman (1539), he tells how he played his servants by sending them to roam the city and look for an ointment for their knees from worms. The poor fellows went around the whole city, but did not find anything.
• Those who managed to make fun of, the French call "April fish". But they themselves do not know exactly where this expression came from. According to one version, a joker threw smoked fish into the Seine. In April, there is usually no bite, but stubborn fishermen still hope for a miracle. And it happened - smoked, but still a fish.
• There is a version that allegedly the king tried a fish dish on New Year's Eve and he liked it so much that the next year he demanded that the same dish be served to his table. But the necessary fish was not found, and the cook prepared a very similar one. The king was so angry that he accused everyone of cheating. Courtiers, so as not to fall out of favor, with one voiceassured him it was the same fish.

Currently in France, the most successful joke is considered if you discreetly pin a paper fish on a person's back. You can walk with it all day until you notice and take it off. Outsiders do not think to help someone who is "hooked."

By the end of the 17th century, April Fool's Day or April Fool's Day was adopted by the Scots and the British, and then all of Europe.

The British came up with their own legend. Allegedly, in ancient times there was a custom: which of the rulers will be the first to pass through the land, to that it will belong. But the villagers are freedom-loving people. They were making real plans to scare the king away. When he and his retinue approached the village, the shepherds drove their cattle onto the roofs, the women cooked food without fire, the lumberjacks tried to cut down the tree with knives. Seeing such a picture, the king did not really want to annex the village of "fools" and left home, and the inhabitants remained free from taxes and taxes.

April 1 among the Slavs

In early April, our ancestors celebrated Brownie Day. There was a belief that the owner of the house after hibernation woke up in a bad mood and did a lot of mischief: he confused horses' manes, scattered flour, and hid objects. To appease him, people tried to cheer him up. Children and adults made themselves out to be complete fools and clumsies: they tripped each other, put on strange clothes, deceived each other kindly. Therefore, scientists believe that the Fool's Day among the ancient Slavs appeared independently (not from Europe). NoseWith the spread of Christianity, old traditions began to be forgotten.

Celebration tradition in Russia

Cheerful and good April Fool's Day returned to Russia during the reign of Peter the Great. After traveling around Europe, the tsar decided to introduce many innovations "according to the Western example." In 1703, a performance was to take place in Moscow, which was attended by a huge number of spectators. The curtain opened, and a huge inscription flaunted on the stage: “The first of April - I don’t trust anyone!”. Peter the Great liked this joke of the actors very much, and it is believed that from that time on, April Fool's Day began to be celebrated in Russia.

Currently, colleagues, friends and family are trying to prank each other on this day. Jokes are sometimes even very witty, there are no general norms and rules, the main thing is that they do not offend a person. All pranks should be fun.

The easiest prank: "Your back is all white!" - still leads in popularity and continues to work.

On this day, concerts, KVN, humor are held throughout the country. All the media do not stand aside, so on this day it is better not to take the news seriously and not retell it to others.

Celebration tradition in Europe

This holiday has been celebrated in France since the 16th century. The most famous joke dates back to 1986. An article appeared on the pages of the Parisien newspaper about the decision of the Parisian municipal authority to dismantle the Eiffel Tower. Allegedly, they are going to transport it to the valley of the Marne River (30 kilometers from the capital), where Disneyland will be built. In the articlethe work was described in detail, how and what will be done. It was planned to assemble the tower in a horizontal position, and then raise it with the help of cranes. Everything about everything should have taken about 6 months. The Parisians began to besiege the editorial office, the phones were torn. Only the next day, the editors admitted to readers that all this is April Fools' "fish"

• In Austria and Germany, April 1 was considered an unlucky day. The people of these countries believed that a child born on this day would be unhappy, since it was on April 1 that Judas was born, and it was on this day that Satan was cast into hell from heaven. It got to the point that on April 1, no one was congratulated on their birthday, and it was not customary to wish for joy and laughter on this day, all the more.
• In Finland, the holiday is relatively young. It is associated with an old rural custom during difficult field work to entrust children with some comic tasks. For example, they were asked to run to their neighbors for a non-existent, but supposedly very necessary tool. The child came, and they allegedly remembered that they had given him to his relatives and sent him to them. And so it went on until someone took pity on the kid and told him that this was an April Fool's joke.
• In England, fooling around only until noon. They sew up each other's sleeves, make up all sorts of fables, and so on.
• Italians, like the French, call Fool's Day "April Fools" and fasten painted paper fish discreetly to the backs of passers-by, friends, relatives and colleagues.
• The only city in the world where April 1 is an official holiday is Odessa, the birthplace of jokes andgreat comedians. The city on this day is seething with all sorts of fun activities. The culmination of the holiday is the carnival procession.



• In the Netherlands they always joke about third parties. They compose fables about renaming planets in honor of celebrities, about the arrival of famous politicians and stars in the country, about amazing and incredible marriages, scientific discoveries and so on.
• In Scotland they joke for two days in a row: on April 1 - on any topic, on the 2nd all pranks concern only the fifth point of a person, this day is also called Tail Day, and the one who managed to play is "April Cuckoo".

April 1 in America

Americans play pranks on each other sometimes very cruelly. Schoolchildren tell classmates about the cancellation of classes, students change the clock to roommates. On Lucky Laugh Day, toilet humor is very common here. When they make fun with the help of rubber souvenirs in the form of waste products. They can end up in a bag, on the table, in soup, sometimes they even exude a characteristic smell. Not to put such a souvenir to a colleague on a chair on this day is considered an unforgivable omission. Americans can play a joke on a colleague by saying that he was fired, or by telling him that someone has died. In general, the humor of the overseas continent is very peculiar.

Interesting and incredible jokes

On the Day of Laughter and Smiles, you can hear the most unlikely news and take it for the truth. For example, many years ago, an article was published in the media that in one of the Moscowzoos settled mammoth. He was allegedly found frozen in Chukotka, thawed and sent to the zoo. This joke was believed by all readers, the news was discussed everywhere, and one teacher even brought a class from Siberia to admire this “treasure”.

In 1990, another interesting note was published that the poet A. Blok never really existed. Everyone fell for this duck, even literary critics, they entered into heated disputes with the editors.

In Great Britain in 1860 in London there was the most massive draw. Residents of the capital were invited to the solemn washing of albino lions living in the Tower. Thousands of people came to watch this action, which was supposed to become a tradition.

It should be noted that in England they are very fond of mass draws. In 1957, the BBC aired a documentary about a rich harvest of spaghetti. People believed this news, began to call the studio with requests to sell them seeds.

Patrick More in 1976 told the BBC that on the morning of April 1, a state of weightlessness would be established on Earth for several minutes, and people would be able to fly in the air. After this joke, for several months the newspapers were full of descriptions of the sensations and feelings of people who soared in the air.

In 1980, the news spread around London that the authorities wanted to modernize Big Ben and replace the mechanical hands with an electronic dial. Mass hysteria began and continued for a long time.

The most famous internet pranks

Notmiss the opportunity to laugh and joke on the Internet. Here are some pranks:

On April 1, 2007, a photograph of the corpse of a fairy appeared on the Internet, which was posted by Briton D. Bain. Thousands of people from different countries believed this photo. Many people still believe that the body in the picture is real, and that it really belongs to the fairy, despite the fact that Bane admitted many times that this is a joke.

Google Map announced in 2014 that it would award the title of Pokémon Master to those users who caught the most number of these creatures on April 1st.

In the same year, YouTube played a joke on its users, saying that all their videos are fake.

On the main page of "Yandex" it was possible to beat flies.

Examples of draws

The main rule of jokes on April Fool's Day is harmlessness. They should create a relaxed atmosphere and evoke positive emotions. Here are some interesting examples of jokes:

• Say that a bug, spider or cockroach is crawling on clothes.
• Seal the bottom of the optical mouse with tape.
• Set all clocks forward 1 hour.
• Hang a notice on the dining room door: “All drinks are free.”
• Fill a tube of toothpaste with cream and replace the cream with toothpaste.
• Cover the soap with colorless varnish.
• Put a toy mouse in the grits.
• Ask to buy striped paint, midshipman in his own juice, rooster eggs and so on.

You can think of a lot of practical jokes,the main thing is that they do not offend or offend a person. Jokes should cause laughter and fun.

How to organize and spend April Fool's Day for children

Entertainment and fun activities are organized in children's institutions. Teachers and educators on April Fool's Day are creative in holding fun activities. In kindergartens, the morning begins with "humorous exercises." As a rule, they organize all kinds of competitions: “Funny painted face”, “The funniest story”, “The funniest smile”. Then, according to the scenario "April Fool's Day", there are either funny discos, or clown performances, or funny walks on the street. In the afternoon, educators conduct comic outdoor games.

Schools on this day, as a rule, hold either humorous quizzes, or KVN, or funny concerts.

He alth and laughter

Laughter has a positive and beneficial effect on human he alth. There is a science that studies the effect of laughter on well-being - geotology.

Laughter produces a hormone in the body - endorphin, which relieves pain and is responsible for our mood. Doctors consider laughter to be a harmless drug that can cause euphoria for a long time.

Scientifically proven that children laugh about 400 times a day, while adults - only 15. Women, according to statistics, laugh more than men.

Doctors believe that laughter helps to lose weight, so 15 minutes of laughter replaces 30 minutes of exercise.

Laughter trains the lungs. Activates during laughterbreathing, more oxygen enters the brain, immunity is strengthened.

In Germany and Austria there are clown doctors who help treat seriously ill children with games and laughter.

In America there is a special medical direction - laughter therapy. In hospitals, rooms of laughter have been created in which patients watch comedies, performances by comedians and comedians. This practice has a positive effect on returning to patients the desire to live and resist the disease.

Conclusion

On April Fool's Day all over the world it is not customary to give gifts, except for funny souvenirs and playful presents. The whole celebration comes down to joking and fooling everyone. Even the media participate in the draws, publishing "sensational" news and incredible discoveries. Do not be offended by jokes, it is better to laugh with the joker and make fun of him in return.

Sincere laughter is the key to he alth and happiness!