It is commonly thought that April Fool’s Day started when the Julian calendar was switched to the Gregorian calendar, changing New Year’s Day from April first to January first. But how do people celebrate April Fool’s Day today? Here’s a look at a few different traditions.
Ireland: In Ireland, tradition is to write: don’t you laugh, and don’t you smile, send the gowk another mile on a letter and ask someone to give it to a specific person. This person then asks the messenger to bring it to someone else after opening the letter. This continues until the messenger gets annoyed, or suspicious, and opens the letter themselves to find that it was a prank.
Poland: For centuries, people and media in Poland have been pulling pranks on others on April first. Most people avoid doing anything serious because of people pulling pranks. However, after noon, people stop pulling pranks, and it is considered inappropriate.
France: Also known as April Fish in France, kids in school tape a paper fish on a classmate’s back, then see how long it takes their classmate to find the fish. Sometimes, adults will also take part in this activity.
