April Fool’s Day in different countries

The origin of April Fool’s Day has been much discussed through the ages. Many theories have been suggested but one thing is certain, April Fool’s Day is a day celebrated in many countries on 1st April.

In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the April 1 tradition says you have to make a joke before midday: if somebody pulls an April Fool’s trick after midday, then the person pulling the trick is… the fool.
In France on the 1st April people try to attach a paper fish to the victim’s back without being noticed. This is also practiced in Italy.

In Denmark the 1st of May is known as „Maj-kat” and is identical to April Fool’s Day, though Danes also celebrate April Fool’s Day („aprilsnar”).

In Spanish-speaking countries, similar jokes are practiced on 8th December, the Day of the Holy Innocents.
This custom also exists in certain areas of Belgium, including the province of Antwerp. The Flemish tradition is for children to lock out their parents or teachers. They would be let out only if they promise to bring treats the same evening or the next day.
Some Jewish communities have a traditional event called a Purim spiel, which is similar in many ways to April Fool’s Day. Fake newspaper articles are common.

In Iran, people play jokes on each other on 3rd April, the 13th day of the Persian calendar new year (Norouz). This day is called „Sizdah bedar” (Outdoor thirteen). It is believed that people should go out on this date in order to escape the bad luck of number 13.

 

Well-known hoaxes played on serious news media

  • Tower of Pisa: The Dutch television news reported once in the 1950s that the Tower of Pisa had fallen. Many shocked people contacted the station.
  • Spaghetti trees: The BBC television programme Panorama ran a famous hoax in 1957, showing the Swiss harvesting spaghetti from trees. A large number of people contacted the BBC wanting to know how to grow their own spaghetti trees.
  • Left Handed Whoppers: In 1998, Burger King ran an ad in USA Today, saying that people could get a Whopper for left-handed people whose condiments were designed to drip out the right side.
  • Water on Mars: In 2005 a news story was posted on the official NASA website purporting to have pictures of water on Mars. The picture actually was just a picture of a glass of water on a Mars Candy Bar.

 

True or false

1 People in France don’t make jokes on 1st April. true false
2 Jewish Purim spiel is not similar to April Fool’s Day. true false
3 Flemish adults may be imprisoned unless they promise to bring kids some treats. true false
4 In Italy you may find a paper fish attached to your back on 1st April. true false
5 In Iran people leave their homes to escape bad luck. true false
6 People from Spanish-speaking countries don’t make any jokes in December. true false

Odpowiedzi:
1F; 2F; 3T; 4T; 5T; 6F.