April Fool’s Day – the day of telling lies

Himangshu Ranjan Bhuyan

(hrbhuyancolumnist@gmail.com)

April Fool’s Day is a festival that is celebrated in different parts of the world, and  it is associated with a fun tradition of laughter, jokes, lies, and creative pranks. April Fool’s Day is observed every year on the 1st of April. The primary appeal of this day lies in the playful tricks, minor lies, and the enjoyment that follows when people exclaim, “April Fool!” The exact historical origin of this tradition is not clearly known, but several theories suggest its possible beginnings. The most popular theory is linked to 16th-century France. At that time, the New Year was celebrated at the end of March or the beginning of April, as the Julian calendar was followed. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, which shifted the beginning of the New Year to January 1. However, not everyone accepted this change immediately. Many people in rural areas continued to celebrate the New Year in early April according to the old tradition. Those who adopted the new calendar began to mock them by calling them “fools.” It is believed that April Fool’s Day originated from this mockery. In France, this day is called “Poisson d’Avril”, which means “April Fish”. There is also a related tradition where people make paper fish and stick them on others’ backs, followed by laughter and jokes. This tradition is still popular in France today.

Another theory suggests that April Fool’s Day is connected to the ancient Roman festival “Hilaria.” This festival was celebrated at the end of March or the beginning of April. On this day, Romans wore masks, joked with each other, and temporarily broke social norms while celebrating. This festival shares some similarities with the lies and pranks of April Fool’s Day. Similarly, festivals like Holi in India also include elements of fun and joking, although they do not have a direct connection with April Fool’s Day in terms of timing or customs. These theories clearly show that humour and fun are important parts of human culture, and April Fool’s Day is just one example of them.

The way April Fool’s Day is celebrated varies from country to country. In England, pranks are usually played only until noon. After that, playing pranks is considered unlucky. A popular tradition is to send someone somewhere to fetch a non-existent item. For example, a person may be told to go to a shop and bring a “round square”. When the shopkeeper says that such a thing does not exist, laughter begins. In America, pranks are often more creative and elaborate. People may turn all the furniture in someone’s office upside down or fill a car with balloons. In Scotland, the day is known as “Hunt the Gowk,”, where people are sent from one place to another on meaningless errands. In France, as mentioned earlier, the “Poisson d’Avril” tradition involves the use of paper fish.

In India, the popularity of April Fool’s Day is gradually increasing, especially among urban areas and the younger generation. In schools and colleges, students play tricks on teachers and friends. A common prank is to send someone somewhere by saying there is an urgent meeting or to hide something unusual in their bag. In the modern age, social media has made this day even more popular. People share fake news or humorous posts. People often mark such posts with “April Fool,” and many take them lightly. In Assam too, the influence of this day is visible, although its popularity is still mostly limited to urban and educated sections of society. Assamese students play tricks on teachers in schools by telling lies or diverting their attention. For example, students may say, “Sir, there is a dog behind you!” and when the teacher turns around, everyone laughs. Many students also give pens without ink to their teachers during roll call as an April Fool prank.

In the modern era, the influence of April Fool’s Day has gone beyond personal levels. Large institutions, media organizations, and companies also participate in this day. For example, Google once made a prank in 2015 by announcing that it had added the feature of playing the Pac-Man game in Google Maps. It was a fun prank that many people enjoyed. Similarly, one of the most famous pranks by the BBC was in 1957, when it broadcast a documentary showing Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees. Many viewers believed it to be true but later realised it was an April Fool’s joke. In India too, media sometimes publishes such humorous news. For example, a newspaper once reported that a new law had been introduced in Delhi requiring all vehicles to replace horns with laughter sounds. Such news brings smiles to readers’ faces.

Business organizations also use this day as a marketing opportunity. For example, a company may announce that they are going to produce “invisible shoes” or “flying bicycles.” Such announcements create curiosity among customers and help in brand promotion. In 2019, an Indian food delivery company claimed that it had started delivering food from clouds, which was a humorous prank. These creative pranks attract people’s attention and increase the popularity of companies.

April Fool’s Day is also associated with some criticism. Sometimes people cross the limits of pranks and hurt or embarrass others. For example, incidents occur where someone is seriously frightened or given false news that causes mental stress. Once, a person told his friend that he had lost his job, and the friend became so worried that his health was affected. He later realised it was a prank, and he became extremely upset. Such incidents raise questions about the purpose of this day. However, most people still accept this day as an opportunity to enjoy laughter and fun.

April Fool’s Day is also linked with creativity. People come up with new and innovative ways to plan pranks. For example, one person turned all the computer screens in his office upside down. Another told his family that he had won a lottery, and when everyone became excited, he said, “April Fool” and laughed. Such pranks create joy among people and strengthen relationships.

In the field of education too, the impact of April Fool’s Day can be seen. A fun environment is created between teachers and students on this day. For example, a teacher may tell students that there will be a test today and later reveal that it was just a joke. Students also play similar tricks on teachers. Such activities create space for laughter even in serious academic environments.

In conclusion, April Fool’s Day is a universal festival that goes beyond culture, language, and boundaries to bring people together. It provides an opportunity to escape from the worries of daily life and enjoy moments of laughter and joy. On this day, people can use their creativity and imagination to create beautiful memories with each other. In Assam too, the popularity of this day is growing, and it is expected to increase further in the future. April Fool’s Day reminds us that laughter and fun are essential parts of life, and we should always embrace them.