April Fools' Day

Today is April Fools’ Day! Beware of practical jokes, pranks, and tricks! Although it’s been celebrated for hundreds of years, no one really knows how the tradition of April Fools’ Day began. According to one theory, when France officially adopted the Roman calendar in the 1500s many rural communities continued to celebrate New Year’s Day in April. The people in these small villages became known as the “April fools.”

There are many famous (and infamous) April Fools’ Day jokes. In 1957, the BBC ran a very successful fake documentary that explained to viewers how spaghetti is grown on spaghetti trees. Many people actually believed it! In 1996, the Taco Bell Corporation took out full-page ads in six major newspapers announcing that it had purchased the Liberty Bell. Hundreds of enraged citizens called to protest the newly named “Taco Liberty Bell.” The company waited a few hours before admitting that it was a practical joke.

To celebrate April Fools’ Day, send a free April Fools’ Day eCard, play a trick on a family member, and watch out for pranks played on you!