I want to tell you… I just gave birth to 5 babies last weekend. Isn’t that exciting? Oh, you don’t believe me? Okay then, I stole some money from a bank on Saturday night. Now do you believe me? (Actually, I hope you don’t.) April 1st, or April Fools Day, is the day when we play jokes on people. Do you have it in your country?
Vocabulary
a fool– someone who doesn’t understand what is happening
to tease– laugh at, make fun of someone, joke about something
to play a joke (on someone)– to do something funny that another person doesn’t know about or suspect at first
container– something that holds something else, like a box, a bottle, or a jar
to play a trick (on someone)– same as play a joke
in the spirit of fun– with an atmosphere of fun, just for fun, lighthearted
April Fool’s Day started in the sixteenth century in Europe. Before that time, New Year’s Day was celebrated on April 1st. Then a new calendar was introduced called the Gregorian calendar. January 1st became the first day of the year, but many people did not know about it. So those who continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1st were teased. They were called fools.
Nowadays we play jokes on people on April 1st. For example, someone might put salt in the sugar container so another person could “accidentally” put it in their coffee. Or someone might change the time on another person’s alarm clock so that person would unknowingly wake up earlier or later than planned. Or maybe a person would tell a lie to make someone else shocked.
After we play the trick, we say “April Fool.” Then the poor person realizes he was fooled. It is generally done in the spirit of fun and doesn’t cause any real harm to anyone. Do you have any great jokes to play on anyone today? Try it out. Just don’t forget to say “April Fool” when the other person begins looking a little confused.
Check Your Understanding
| Choose True or False. Check your answers by clicking the arrow below. 1. April Fool’s Day started in 1908. True or False 2. A long time ago, New Year’s Eve was celebrated on April 1st. True or False 3. Some people didn’t realize that New Year’s Day had changed. True or False 4. People who celebrated New Year’s Day on January 1st were teased. True or False 5. People like to play jokes on January 1st. True or False 6. Sometimes on April Fool’s Day people lie to shock someone. True or False 7. After you play a joke on someone, you should say “April Fools!” True or False |
Frequently Asked Questions About April Fool’s Day
April Fool’s Day is a cultural celebration held on April 1st each year, where people play jokes and pranks on each other in a spirit of fun. It’s a day when many indulge in creating and spreading harmless hoaxes.
The specific reasons why April Fool’s Day is celebrated on April 1st remain a bit of a mystery. Historically, it’s linked to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar when the start of the new year moved from late March to January 1st. Those still celebrating the old new year at the end of March were often mocked as April fools.
The unspoken rule of April Fool’s Day is that pranks should be harmless and in good spirit. Generally, pranks are expected to end by noon in some cultures, especially in the UK, and anyone playing a joke after midday is considered the “April fool” themselves.
Celebrations vary globally: In France, children tape a paper fish to their friends’ backs and shout “Poisson d’Avril!” when it’s discovered. In Scotland, April Fool’s Day is actually celebrated for two days, and the target of a prank is called an “April gowk,” which is Scots for cuckoo.
Yes, while April Fool’s Day is about fun, it’s important to keep pranks light-hearted and not cause harm or distress. Pranks involving fake emergencies, for example, are considered in poor taste and potentially dangerous.
Answer Key:
1. F
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. T