Gabby Cummings
When it comes to holidays, April Fool’s Day is probably the weirdest one. As we close the end of winter (well, maybe not in Fayette County) we celebrate this day with pranks and humiliation, all in good fun. But how did this strange holiday come up and where did it originate?
Some say April Fool’s started all the way back in 1582 when the Julian calendar transitioned to the Gregorian calendar by the French. The Julian calendar was designed so the year ended near the end of March, starting a new year with Spring. Later on, the new Gregorian calendar moved the start of a new year all the way to January 1st.
People who still celebrated the new year on April 1st, despite the new change, were often viewed as “fools.” Those people soon began to become the butt of jokes and pranks were often pulled on them. In France people often taped a paper fish on the “fool’s” backs. So, why did they do this? “Poisson d’avril”, meaning April fish, symbolized a very gullible and easy to trick person, or a easily caught fish.
In the 18th century, April Fool’s Day then began to spread throughout Britain. In Scotland, this day started with “hunting the gowk” where people would be sent to go do fake errands. The gowk is the cuckoo bird which, like the fish, symbolizes a “fool”. After that follows Tailie Day where fake tails and “kick me” signs would be placed on people. This began to spread around the world.
Today, this tricky day is still used to create intricate, yet funny hoaxes. Media like television, websites, the radio, and businesses across the globe have pulled pranks and announced false claims to trick their audiences. Happy April Fool’s Day!
In celebration of April Fool’s Day, here are some of the most memorable and funny pranks in history:
The Taco Liberty Bell: In 1996, Taco Bell, announced they owned the name to the Liberty Bell, naming it Taco Liberty Bell.
President Richard Nixon: In 1992, on the radio Richard Nixon revealed that he was, once again running for president. Listeners were furious, calling in and complaining. However, in the second half of the show it was announced that it was a joke and his voice was an impersonation.
UFO in London: In 1989, a fake UFO landed on outskirts of London where people began to alert the police of an alien invasion. The scared, yet brave police man approached the saucer, and it actually turned out to be a hot air balloon designed to look like a UFO.
Sidd Finch: In 1985, Sports Illustrated announced that the New York Mets had gotten a new pitcher named Sidd Finch who pitched a baseball at a record breaking 168 mph. The Mets fans couldn’t believe this and demanded more information; however, the player was a fictional character.