April Fools’ Day
April Fools’ Day – or ‘All Fools’ Day’ falls annually on the first of April and is a
time for playing practical jokes and hoaxes for fun.
The Origins
As with many long-standing traditions, no one really knows for sure how it
began. Popular thinking is that it started in the mid-1500s when the Gregorian
calendar (the one we use today) was introduced - some people
did not get the message and were still celebrating the New
Year on the first of April which is when it was previously.
There are also clues that it could have started in the late
fourteenth century from a book called ‘The Canterbury
Tales’. Others think that it could go back even further as the
ancient Romans held spring festivals called ‘Hilaria’ around
that time too, full of merriment at
the spring equinox.
Famous April Fools’ Day Tricks
Traditions
April Fools’ Day in the UK is a fun
time when harmless, but amusing
tricks are played on others. Even
the television and newspapers get
involved so be careful what you read
and hear on that day! In Scotland,
the victim of a trick is called an ‘April
Gowk’. A Gowk is a cuckoo, or foolish
person and April the first is known as
‘Hunt the Gowk Day’
In France, the day is called ‘Poisson
d’Avril’ meaning ‘April Fish’ because
on this day children play tricks on
adults by sticking paper fish to their
backs and running away shouting
‘Poisson d’Avril’.
Be Mindful of the Time…
Tradition states, in many areas, that
if you try to play a trick after twelve
noon, then you become the fool. If you
are fooled after noon, the saying goes:
•In 1998, a fast food chain claimed
to be selling new ‘left-handed’
burgers. Thousands of people visited
the outlets trying to obtain them.
•In 1978, in Sydney, Australia, a
local businessman towed into
the harbour what he said was an
iceberg all the way from Antarctica.
It turned out to be a model.
•1957 saw one of the most famous
public pranks by the BBC in a short
‘mockumentary’ about spaghetti
trees in Italy. Many people were
taken in by the joke and wanted to
know how to grow them at home,
to which the reply was: “Place a
sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato
sauce and hope for the best.”
“April Fools’ has passed and gone, you are the fool and I am none.”
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Questions
April Fools’ Day
1. What is an alternative name for ‘April Fools’ Day’?
2. What is the name of the calendar system we use in the UK and in which century was it
introduced?
3. Copy part of the text that shows that New Year’s Day has not always been on the 1st of
January.
4. Which two other possible origins of April Fools’ Day are earlier than the 1500s? 5. What is a ‘Gowk’ and from which country is the word?
6. The author uses the phrase: “trying to obtain them”
Which word most closely matches the word obtain?
Tick one:
lose
distribute
give
acquire
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April Fools’ Day
7. The author uses the word ‘mockumentary’ which is a portmanteau (two words joined
together). Which two words does it blend and what does ‘mockumentary’ mean?
8. Look at the title of the fact file – is the day a celebration of one fool or many fools? Say
how you know.
9. Look at the name of the Roman spring festivals mentioned in the text. Spot any links
between this name and links to April Fools’ Day.
10. Give three reasons why you think the BBC mockumentary on spaghetti trees was such a
successful prank?
Page 2 of 3
Answers
April Fools’ Day
1. What is an alternative name for ‘April Fools’ Day’?
An alternative name for April Fools’ Day is ‘All Fools’ Day’.
2. What is the name of the calendar system we use in the UK and in which century was it
introduced?
The name of the calendar system we use in the UK is the Gregorian
calendar and it was introduced in the 16th Century.
3. Copy part of the text that shows that New Year’s Day has not always been on the 1st of
January.
“…the new year on the first of April which is when it was previously.”
4. Which two other possible origins of April Fools’ Day are earlier than the 1500s?
Two other possible origins of April Fools’ Day are the book ‘The
Canterbury Tales’ and the Roman festivals of ‘Hilaria’.
5. W
hat is a ‘Gowk’ and from which country is the word?
A ‘Gowk’ is a cuckoo or a foolish person and the word is from Scotland.
6. The author uses the phrase: “trying to obtain them”
Which word most closely matches the word obtain?
acquire
7. The author uses the word ‘mockumentary’ which is a portmanteau (two words joined
together). Which two words does it blend?
The word ‘mockumentary’ is a portmanteau of the words ‘mock’ and
‘documentary’ meaning a fake/fictional documentary meant to look serious.
8. Look at the title of the fact file – is the day a celebration of one fool or many fools? Say
how you know.
The title shows that it is a celebration of many fools because
the apostrophe is after the ‘s’ on the word ‘fools’.
9. Look at the name of the Roman spring festivals mentioned in the text. Spot any links
between this name and links to April Fools’ Day.
The name of the Roman festivals is ‘Hilaria’ and this sounds
and looks like the word ‘hilarious’ or ‘hilarity’ which means
funny. This could be why people think they are linked.
April Fools’ Day
10. Give three reasons why you think the BBC mockumentary on spaghetti trees was such a
successful prank?
An open-ended question and a good opportunity to watch the video
on the Internet and discuss why it was so successful.
Reasons can include:
• Made by the trusted BBC
• People weren’t as used to pranks at that time.
• Looked and sounded like a serious documentary
• Spaghetti was still quite new to people in the UK in the 1950s
so people knew less about how it was made.
• Showed footage of people actually picking spaghetti and it hanging on trees.
• In the 1950s fewer people in the UK will have visited Italy.