The earliest possible known reference to April 1 and playing a prank is in Geoffrey Chaucer\u2019s \u201cThe Canterbury Tales\u201d, written in the late 14th\u00a0century. In the poem, a vain\u00a0hen\u00a0is tricked by a fox on\u00a0\u201csyn\u00a0March\u00a0bigan\u00a0thritty\u00a0dayes\u00a0and two\u201d.\u00a0Readers took this as March 32, which would mean April 1. However, scholars have argued that Chaucer states the sun is\u00a0\u201cin the\u00a0signe\u00a0of Taurus\u201d\u00a0for the events, which could mean it was 32 days after March.<\/p>\n
Over\u00a0one\u00a0hundred years later, French poet Eloy\u00a0D\u2019Amerval\u00a0referred to \u201cpoisson\u00a0d\u2019avril\u201d in 1508, the name which the French call their April Fools\u2019\u00a0Day\u00a0and some suggest that he may be recounting the events of the day.<\/p>\n
Concrete accounts about April Fools\u2019 Day emerged from France and Holland around this time, indicating that it may have been a northern European tradition that spread through the Celts. The fishing season began on April 1, but if a fisherman hadn\u2019t brought back a great catch that day, sometimes they lied about how much they had caught. If they were found out, they were the fool.<\/p>\n
While we may not know where it originates, it is certainly celebrated in many places now. It is a time that even the national media like to prank their citizens, so before calling \u201cfake news\u201d, remember it\u2019s just a bit of fun!<\/p>\n
For the jokers among you, we\u2019ve collected some facts and fun pranks from around the world for this April Fools\u2019 Day.<\/p>\n
France<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n![\"Paris-France\"](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-0039RM2018.jpg\")
Paris-France<\/p><\/div>\n
The French shout \u201cpoisson\u00a0d\u2019avril\u201d for April Fools\u2019 Day. Children draw and make paper fish at school, and people stick them to each other\u2019s backs for fun. If you stop by any patisserie, you\u2019ll find fish-shaped treats to tempt you.<\/p>\n
The French media love to catch the unsuspecting public out with their own April Fools\u2019 jokes. In 1986, Le\u00a0Parisien\u00a0newspaper ran a story about moving the Eiffel Tower to the site of the new Disneyland Paris. They added credibility to the story by saying that a new Olympic stadium would be built on the site that the iron masterpiece had left.<\/p>\n
Last year, when the coronavirus pandemic had much of Europe under full lockdown, there were many news articles about nature reclaiming the streets. So, the Twitter team for the town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer had a little fun by posting some giraffes who were apparently roaming the streets of their town.<\/p>\n
Embrace the French joie-de-vivre on Luxury Gold\u2019s French Vogue<\/span><\/a> tour.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nItaly<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
![\"Venice-](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-2240EUPR2018.jpg\")
Venice- Italy<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Despite sharing a 515-kilometer border, the Italians and French have distinct traditions belonging to each country. However, the Italian name for April Fools\u2019 Day is similar \u2013\u00a0Pesce\u00a0d\u2019Aprile. In Italy, the most common prank is taping a paper fish to someone\u2019s back, the same as in France. The Italians make a game of it, where everyone in the room is asked who has seen the\u00a0Pesce\u00a0d\u2019Aprile?\u00a0Of course\u00a0it takes some time for the person wearing the fish to realise!<\/p>\n
There are some superb examples of the Italian media playing tricks on the public on April 1. In 1961, Milan\u2019s \u201cLa\u00a0Notte\u201d newspaper reported that all horses would need to be fitted for signalling and brake lights for riding through the streets and surrounding countryside. Some people brought their horses to mechanics with the instructions to do so.<\/p>\n
Join in the\u00a0jokes\u00a0on the Ultimate Italy<\/span><\/a> tour in April next year.<\/p>\nSweden<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
![\"Sweden\"](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-0630RM2018.jpg\")
Sweden<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re visiting Sweden<\/span><\/a> around April 1, then you should learn one phrase \u201cApril,\u00a0april\u00a0dun\u00a0dumma\u00a0sill, jag\u00a0kan\u00a0lura\u00a0dig\u00a0vart\u00a0jag\u00a0vill,\u201d. It means \u201cApril, April, you silly herring, I can fool you anywhere I want to.\u201d Whenever the person who has been pranked realizes the jokes on them, you must say this, or the April Fool is incomplete.<\/p>\nIn 1965 an unknown prankster delivered leaflets throughout Stockholm claiming that the water company would soon switch off the water. Households were encouraged to fill up\u00a0their\u00a0bathtubs\u00a0and as many containers as possible to store water. The culprit of this prank was never discovered. In 2004, a Swedish newspaper reported that mobile phone owners could access 3G simply by shaking their phones \u2013 that was probably funny to watch on the day.<\/p>\n
England<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
![\"London](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-0270RM2018.jpg\")
London Guards<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
The one thing to remember\u00a0on\u00a0April Fools\u2019 Day in England is that you must play the joke before noon, or else the joke is on you! Presumably this is to catch people out before they even realise the date.<\/p>\n
The British media commonly take part in pranking\u00a0on\u00a0April Fools\u2019 Day. In 1957, the broadcaster BBC brought in a special report about a record spaghetti crop in Switzerland, even showing Swiss workers pulling noodles from the trees.<\/p>\n
The cutest April Fools\u2019 joke came from Cambridgeshire police force, who introduced their drug sniffer bunny Benni to the world via Twitter.<\/p>\n
Scotland<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
![\"Scotland](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-0227EULG2018.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Just north of the border, the Scots used to have two days for playing jokes and pranks on friends and\u00a0neighbors. April 1 was called\u00a0Huntigowk\u00a0day, where gowk meant foolish person. The gowk would be handed a sealed message to bring to someone, that read \u201cDinna laugh,\u00a0dinna\u00a0smile, hunt the gowk another mile.\u201d\u00a0 On receiving the message, the recipient would tell the gowk to deliver another sealed message to someone else, which read the same. This would continue until the gowk realised there was no message at\u00a0all\u00a0and he had been tricked. April 2 was a continuation of festivities called\u00a0Tailie\u00a0day, where tails would be pinned on people\u2019s backs. The \u201ckick me\u201d that you stick to someone\u2019s back can be traced back to\u00a0Tailie\u00a0day.<\/p>\n
Discover the great wit of British noblemen on the British Royale<\/span><\/a> tour.<\/p>\nIndia<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"India](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-0084RM2018.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
April Fools\u2019 Day has been around for centuries in India,\u00a0as a result of\u00a0British influence. It has always been known as a day for\u00a0light hearted\u00a0joking, where children were allowed play small pranks without getting into trouble for them. These included things like replacing sugar with salt for tea or cooking, causing frustration to their parents.<\/p>\n
More recently, the younger generations now post pranks on social media, such as making up silly news stories or trying to catch out their friends with jokes. It is not as widely celebrated as elsewhere, but many children enjoy the fun of the day.<\/p>\n
Ukraine, especially Odessa<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
If your\u00a0favorite\u00a0day of the year is April Fools\u2019 Day, then it\u2019s worth putting a trip to Odessa to coincide with April 1 on your travel list.<\/p>\n
Since 1973, Odessa has held the festival of\u00a0Humorina\u00a0around April Fools\u2019 Day. A large parade takes place in the city\u00a0center\u00a0with comedians, musicians and clowns putting on performances. People dress in costume to join the parade and plentiful pranks are a given. It\u2019s a joyous event organized by comic troupe, \u201cMasks\u201d who used to have a popular TV show in the country.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s main buildings and monuments are often dressed in funny clothing to mark the event.<\/p>\n
Russia<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
![\"Russia\"](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-0619RM2019RTD.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Russian\u2019s love to have fun on April Fools\u2019 Day. People dream up ways to trick their friends and family, from calling up their\u00a0neighbors\u00a0to tell them that their car is being towed (and getting the instant reward of seeing them run outside to check) to swapping their co-worker’s desk family photo for a movie\u00a0still, and\u00a0wondering when they\u2019ll notice.<\/p>\n
Learn more Russian jokes on the Remarkable Russia<\/span><\/a> tour in 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nGreece<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
![\"Cyclades](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-0331RM2018.jpg\")
Cyclades – Greece<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
The Greeks believe that there is good luck to be had from pranking people\u00a0on\u00a0April Fools\u2019 Day. They believe that if you successfully play a trick on someone, that it will bring you good luck for the rest of the year. Farmers believe that a couple of good pranks will bring a bountiful harvest that year, so plenty of\u00a0neighborly\u00a0joking occurs on April 1.<\/p>\n
Another belief in Greece is that any rain that falls on April 1 has healing properties, so it\u2019s the ideal time to dance in the rain.<\/p>\n
Brazil<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
![\"Rio](\"https:\/\/www.luxurygold.com\/lg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Medium-0018RM2018.jpg\")
Rio de Janeiro – Brazil<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
In Brazil, April 1 is called \u201co\u00a0dia\u00a0das\u00a0mentires\u201d, meaning \u201cday of lies\u201d, so white lies are commonly told, with no harm meant. It has been celebrated in the country since 1828, when a satirical paper called A\u00a0Mentira\u00a0announced that the emperor and founder of Brazil, Don Pedro, had died. This could have been taken quite seriously, but Brazilians that believed it weren\u2019t angry when they discovered the truth. They like to make light of things, because they believe it\u2019s the solution to the ills of modern life. So, take anything you hear in Brazil on April 1 with a pinch of salt, in the spirit that it\u2019s meant.<\/p>\n
Paris-France<\/p><\/div>\n
The French shout \u201cpoisson\u00a0d\u2019avril\u201d for April Fools\u2019 Day. Children draw and make paper fish at school, and people stick them to each other\u2019s backs for fun. If you stop by any patisserie, you\u2019ll find fish-shaped treats to tempt you.<\/p>\n
The French media love to catch the unsuspecting public out with their own April Fools\u2019 jokes. In 1986, Le\u00a0Parisien\u00a0newspaper ran a story about moving the Eiffel Tower to the site of the new Disneyland Paris. They added credibility to the story by saying that a new Olympic stadium would be built on the site that the iron masterpiece had left.<\/p>\n
Last year, when the coronavirus pandemic had much of Europe under full lockdown, there were many news articles about nature reclaiming the streets. So, the Twitter team for the town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer had a little fun by posting some giraffes who were apparently roaming the streets of their town.<\/p>\n
Embrace the French joie-de-vivre on Luxury Gold\u2019s French Vogue<\/span><\/a> tour.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Venice- Italy<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Despite sharing a 515-kilometer border, the Italians and French have distinct traditions belonging to each country. However, the Italian name for April Fools\u2019 Day is similar \u2013\u00a0Pesce\u00a0d\u2019Aprile. In Italy, the most common prank is taping a paper fish to someone\u2019s back, the same as in France. The Italians make a game of it, where everyone in the room is asked who has seen the\u00a0Pesce\u00a0d\u2019Aprile?\u00a0Of course\u00a0it takes some time for the person wearing the fish to realise!<\/p>\n There are some superb examples of the Italian media playing tricks on the public on April 1. In 1961, Milan\u2019s \u201cLa\u00a0Notte\u201d newspaper reported that all horses would need to be fitted for signalling and brake lights for riding through the streets and surrounding countryside. Some people brought their horses to mechanics with the instructions to do so.<\/p>\n Join in the\u00a0jokes\u00a0on the Ultimate Italy<\/span><\/a> tour in April next year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sweden<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019re visiting Sweden<\/span><\/a> around April 1, then you should learn one phrase \u201cApril,\u00a0april\u00a0dun\u00a0dumma\u00a0sill, jag\u00a0kan\u00a0lura\u00a0dig\u00a0vart\u00a0jag\u00a0vill,\u201d. It means \u201cApril, April, you silly herring, I can fool you anywhere I want to.\u201d Whenever the person who has been pranked realizes the jokes on them, you must say this, or the April Fool is incomplete.<\/p>\n In 1965 an unknown prankster delivered leaflets throughout Stockholm claiming that the water company would soon switch off the water. Households were encouraged to fill up\u00a0their\u00a0bathtubs\u00a0and as many containers as possible to store water. The culprit of this prank was never discovered. In 2004, a Swedish newspaper reported that mobile phone owners could access 3G simply by shaking their phones \u2013 that was probably funny to watch on the day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n London Guards<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n The one thing to remember\u00a0on\u00a0April Fools\u2019 Day in England is that you must play the joke before noon, or else the joke is on you! Presumably this is to catch people out before they even realise the date.<\/p>\n The British media commonly take part in pranking\u00a0on\u00a0April Fools\u2019 Day. In 1957, the broadcaster BBC brought in a special report about a record spaghetti crop in Switzerland, even showing Swiss workers pulling noodles from the trees.<\/p>\n The cutest April Fools\u2019 joke came from Cambridgeshire police force, who introduced their drug sniffer bunny Benni to the world via Twitter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just north of the border, the Scots used to have two days for playing jokes and pranks on friends and\u00a0neighbors. April 1 was called\u00a0Huntigowk\u00a0day, where gowk meant foolish person. The gowk would be handed a sealed message to bring to someone, that read \u201cDinna laugh,\u00a0dinna\u00a0smile, hunt the gowk another mile.\u201d\u00a0 On receiving the message, the recipient would tell the gowk to deliver another sealed message to someone else, which read the same. This would continue until the gowk realised there was no message at\u00a0all\u00a0and he had been tricked. April 2 was a continuation of festivities called\u00a0Tailie\u00a0day, where tails would be pinned on people\u2019s backs. The \u201ckick me\u201d that you stick to someone\u2019s back can be traced back to\u00a0Tailie\u00a0day.<\/p>\n Discover the great wit of British noblemen on the British Royale<\/span><\/a> tour.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n April Fools\u2019 Day has been around for centuries in India,\u00a0as a result of\u00a0British influence. It has always been known as a day for\u00a0light hearted\u00a0joking, where children were allowed play small pranks without getting into trouble for them. These included things like replacing sugar with salt for tea or cooking, causing frustration to their parents.<\/p>\n More recently, the younger generations now post pranks on social media, such as making up silly news stories or trying to catch out their friends with jokes. It is not as widely celebrated as elsewhere, but many children enjoy the fun of the day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If your\u00a0favorite\u00a0day of the year is April Fools\u2019 Day, then it\u2019s worth putting a trip to Odessa to coincide with April 1 on your travel list.<\/p>\n Since 1973, Odessa has held the festival of\u00a0Humorina\u00a0around April Fools\u2019 Day. A large parade takes place in the city\u00a0center\u00a0with comedians, musicians and clowns putting on performances. People dress in costume to join the parade and plentiful pranks are a given. It\u2019s a joyous event organized by comic troupe, \u201cMasks\u201d who used to have a popular TV show in the country.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s main buildings and monuments are often dressed in funny clothing to mark the event.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Russian\u2019s love to have fun on April Fools\u2019 Day. People dream up ways to trick their friends and family, from calling up their\u00a0neighbors\u00a0to tell them that their car is being towed (and getting the instant reward of seeing them run outside to check) to swapping their co-worker’s desk family photo for a movie\u00a0still, and\u00a0wondering when they\u2019ll notice.<\/p>\n Learn more Russian jokes on the Remarkable Russia<\/span><\/a> tour in 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cyclades – Greece<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n The Greeks believe that there is good luck to be had from pranking people\u00a0on\u00a0April Fools\u2019 Day. They believe that if you successfully play a trick on someone, that it will bring you good luck for the rest of the year. Farmers believe that a couple of good pranks will bring a bountiful harvest that year, so plenty of\u00a0neighborly\u00a0joking occurs on April 1.<\/p>\n Another belief in Greece is that any rain that falls on April 1 has healing properties, so it\u2019s the ideal time to dance in the rain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rio de Janeiro – Brazil<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n In Brazil, April 1 is called \u201co\u00a0dia\u00a0das\u00a0mentires\u201d, meaning \u201cday of lies\u201d, so white lies are commonly told, with no harm meant. It has been celebrated in the country since 1828, when a satirical paper called A\u00a0Mentira\u00a0announced that the emperor and founder of Brazil, Don Pedro, had died. This could have been taken quite seriously, but Brazilians that believed it weren\u2019t angry when they discovered the truth. They like to make light of things, because they believe it\u2019s the solution to the ills of modern life. So, take anything you hear in Brazil on April 1 with a pinch of salt, in the spirit that it\u2019s meant.<\/p>\nItaly<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Sweden<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
England<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Scotland<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nIndia<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nUkraine, especially Odessa<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Russia<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nGreece<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Brazil<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n