The first day of April has long been known as "April Fools Day" or "All fools day". On this day playing practical jokes is common. April Fools' Day, though not a holiday in its own right, is a notable day celebrated in many countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, enemies and neighbours, or sending them on fools' errands, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible.It is believed that the custom of playing practical jokes on the first day of April began in France after the adoption of the reformed calendar by Charles IX in 1564. Until that time the New Year celebration began on March 21 and ended on April 1. Although the time of New Year celebration was changed
to January 1, some people still celebrated it on April
1. These people came to be known as 'APRIL FOOLS'.
The custom of fooling such people on this day
became popular in France and soon it spread to other
countries also. In France the victim of the practical
joke on the April Fools day is called the 'April
Fish'. Early settlers in America brought the custom
from England. In the U.S.A. the term used is 'April
Fool'. And in Germany it is 'Aprilnar'.
Widespread observance of the April Fools Day began
in England during the 18th Century. In England one can
play April Fools Day tricks only in the morning and
the victim of the joke is called 'Noddie'. The term
'April Gowk' is used in Scotland (a part of Great
Britain, north of England).
Finally, Men, Women and Children all over the
world play April Fools Day jokes. I, sincerely,
request all the readers that under any circumstances
the feelings of others should not be hurt on this day
i.e. the jokes or plays should be actually harmless in
nature.
The frequency of April Fool hoaxes sometimes makes people doubt real news stories released on 1 April.
Residents running from an approaching tsunami in Hilo, Hawaii
The 1 April 1946 Aleutian Island earthquake tsunami that killed
165 people on Hawaii and Alaska resulted in the creation of
a tsunami warning system (specifically the Pacific Tsunami
Warning Centre), established in 1949 for Pacific Ocean area
countries. The tsunami in question is known in Hawaii as the
"April Fools' Day Tsunami" due to people drowning because
of the assumptions that the warnings were an April Fools'
prank. The 2005 death of comedian Mitch Hedberg was originally
dismissed as an April Fools' joke. The comedian's March 29,
2005 death was announced on April 1, 2005.
PS Prakasa Rao
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