April Fools ' Day - wikipedia April Fools ' Day For other uses, see April Fool ( disambiguation ) and April Fool 's Day ( disambiguation ). The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with Europe and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. ( April 2016 ) April Fools ' Day An April Fools ' Day prank marking the construction of the Copenhagen Metro in 2001 Also called All Fools ' Day Type Cultural, Western Significance Practical jokes, pranks Observances Comedy Date April 1 Next time 1 April 2019 ( 2019 - 04 - 01 ) Frequency Annual April Fools ' Day ( sometimes called All Fools ' Day ) is an annual celebration in some European and Western countries commemorated on April 1 by playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. The jokes and their victims are called April fools. People playing April Fool jokes often expose their prank by shouting `` April fool '' at the unfortunate victim ( s ). Some newspapers, magazines and other published media report fake stories, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in smaller letters. Although popular since the 19th century, the day is not a public holiday in any country. Aside from April Fools ' Day, the custom of setting aside a day for the playing of harmless pranks upon one 's neighbour has historically been relatively common in the world. Contents 1 Origins 2 Longstanding customs 2.1 United Kingdom 2.2 Ireland 2.3 Prima aprilis in Poland 2.4 Nordic countries 2.5 April fish 2.6 India 2.7 Lebanon 2.8 Spanish - speaking countries 3 Pranks 4 Comparable prank days 5 Reception 6 In popular culture 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links Origins An 1857 ticket to `` Washing the Lions '' at the Tower of London in London. No such event ever took place. A disputed association between April 1 and foolishness is in Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Canterbury Tales ( 1392 ). In the `` Nun 's Priest 's Tale '', a vain cock Chauntecleer is tricked by a fox on Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two. Readers apparently understood this line to mean `` 32 March '', i.e. April 1. However, it is not clear that Chaucer was referencing April 1. Modern scholars believe that there is a copying error in the extant manuscripts and that Chaucer actually wrote, Syn March was gon. If so, the passage would have originally meant 32 days after March, i.e. 2 May, the anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, which took place in 1381. In 1508, French poet Eloy d'Amerval referred to a poisson d'avril ( April fool, literally `` Fish of April '' ), possibly the first reference to the celebration in France. In the Middle Ages, New Year 's Day was celebrated on March 25 in most European towns. In some areas of France, New Year 's was a week - long holiday ending on April 1. Some writers suggest that April Fools ' originated because those who celebrated on January 1 made fun of those who celebrated on other dates. The use of January 1 as New Year 's Day was common in France by the mid-16th century, and this date was adopted officially in 1564 by the Edict of Roussillon. In 1539, Flemish poet Eduard de Dene wrote of a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on April 1. In the Netherlands, the origin of April Fools ' Day is often attributed to the Dutch victory at Brielle in 1572, where the Spanish Duke Álvarez de Toledo was defeated. `` Op 1 april verloor Alva zijn bril '' is a Dutch proverb, which can be translated to : `` On the first of April, Alva lost his glasses. '' In this case, the glasses ( `` bril '' in Dutch ) serve as a metaphor for Brielle. This theory, however, provides no explanation for the international celebration of April Fools ' Day. In 1686, John Aubrey referred to the celebration as `` Fooles holy day '', the first British reference. On April 1, 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to `` see the Lions washed ''. Although no Biblical scholar or historian are known to have mentioned a relationship, some have expressed the belief that the origins of April Fool 's Day may go back to the Genesis flood narrative. In a 1908 edition of the Harper 's Weekly cartoonist Bertha R. McDonald wrote : Authorities gravely back with it to the time of Noah and the ark. The London Public Advertiser of March 13, 1769, printed : `` The mistake of Noah sending the dove out of the ark before the water had abated, on the first day of April, and to perpetuate the memory of this deliverance it was thought proper, whoever forgot so remarkable a circumstance, to punish them by sending them upon some sleeveless errand similar to that ineffectual message upon which the bird was sent by the patriarch ''. Longstanding Customs This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2017 ) United kingdom In the UK, an April Fool joke is revealed by shouting `` April fool ! '' at the recipient, who becomes the `` April fool ''. A study in the 1950s, by folklorists Iona and Peter Opie, found that in the UK, and in countries whose traditions derived from the UK, the joking ceased at midday. A person playing a joke after midday is the `` April fool '' themselves. In Scotland, April Fools ' Day was traditionally called ' Huntigowk Day ', although this name has fallen into disuse. The name is a corruption of ' Hunt the Gowk ', `` gowk '' being Scots for a cuckoo or a foolish person ; alternative terms in Gaelic would be Là na Gocaireachd, ' gowking day ', or Là Ruith na Cuthaige, ' the day of running the cuckoo '. The traditional prank is to ask someone to deliver a sealed message that supposedly requests help of some sort. In fact, the message reads `` Dinna laugh, dinna smile. Hunt the gowk another mile. '' The recipient, upon reading it, will explain he can only help if he first contacts another person, and sends the victim to this next person with an identical message, with the same result. In England a `` fool '' is known by different names around the country, including a `` noodle '', `` gob '', `` gobby '' or `` noddy ''. Ireland In Ireland, it was traditional to entrust the victim with an `` important letter '' to be given to a named person. That person would then ask the victim to take it to someone else, and so on. The letter when finally opened contained the words `` send the fool further ''. Prima aprilis in Poland In Poland, prima aprilis ( `` 1 April '' in Latin ) as a day of jokes is a centuries - long tradition. It is a day in which many jokes are told ; various hoaxes -- sometimes very sophisticated -- are prepared by people, media ( which often cooperate to make the `` information '' more credible ) and even public institutions. Serious activities are usually avoided, and generally every word said on April 1st can be a lie, or a joke. The conviction for this is so strong that the Polish anti-Turkish alliance with Leopold I signed on April 1, 1683, was backdated to March 31. However, for some in Poland prima aprilis ends at noon of April 1st, and prima aprilis jokes after that hour are considered inappropriate and not classy. Nordic countries Danes, Finns, Icelanders, Norwegians and Swedes celebrate April Fools ' Day ( aprilsnar in Danish ; aprillipäivä in Finnish ). Most news media outlets will publish exactly one false story on April 1 ; for newspapers this will typically be a first - page article but not the top headline. April fish In Italy, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and French - speaking areas of Switzerland and Canada, April 1 tradition is often known as `` April fish '' ( poissons d'avril in French, aprilvis in Dutch or pesce d'aprile in Italian ). This includes attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim 's back without being noticed. Such fish feature prominently on many late 19th - to early 20th - century French April Fools ' Day postcards. Many newspapers also spread a false story on April Fools ' Day, and a subtle reference to a fish is sometimes given as a clue. India In India, there have been numerous references to April Fools ' Day in both cinema and popular literature and people are jovially associated with the day. However, this is not any intrinsic part of India 's ancient culture. Lebanon In Lebanon, an April Fool joke is revealed by shouting `` كذبة ابريل ! '' ( which means `` Aprils fool ! '' ) at the recipient, who becomes the `` April fool ''. Spanish - speaking countries In many Spanish - speaking countries ( and the Philippines ), `` Dia de los Santos Inocentes '' ( Holy Innocents Day ) is celebrated, which is very similar to April Fools. Often, people play pranks on each other, trick others, etc. Pranks An April Fools ' Day prank in Boston 's Public Garden warning people not to photograph sculptures. Main article : List of April Fools ' Day jokes As well as people playing pranks on one another on April Fools ' Day, elaborate practical jokes have appeared on radio and TV stations, newspapers, websites, and have been performed by large corporations. In one famous prank from 1957, the BBC broadcast a film in their Panorama current affairs series purporting to show Swiss farmers picking freshly - grown spaghetti, in what they called the Swiss Spaghetti Harvest. The BBC were later flooded with requests to purchase a spaghetti plant, forcing them to declare the film a hoax on the news the next day. With the advent of the Internet and readily available global news services, April Fools ' pranks can catch and embarrass a wider audience than ever before. Comparable prank days December 28, the equivalent day in Spain and Hispanic America, is also the Christian day of celebration of the `` Day of the Holy Innocents ''. The Christian celebration is a holiday in its own right, a religious one, but the tradition of pranks is not, though the latter is observed yearly. After somebody plays a joke or a prank on somebody else, the joker usually cries out, in some regions of Hispanic America : Inocente palomita que te dejaste engañar ( `` You innocent little dove that let yourself be fooled '' ), not to be confused with the second translation of palomita, which is popcorn. In Mexico, the phrase is ¡ Inocente para siempre ! which means `` Innocent forever ! ''. In Argentina, the prankster says ¡ Que la inocencia te valga !, which roughly translates as a piece of advice on not to be as gullible as the victim of the prank. In Spain, it is common to say just ¡ Inocente ! ( which in Spanish can mean `` Innocent ! '', but also `` Gullible ! '' ). In Colombia, the term used is `` Pasala por inocente '', which roughly means : `` I am innocent, it was just a joke '' In Belgium, this day is also known as the `` Day of the innocent children '' or `` Day of the stupid children ''. It used to be a day where parents, grandparents, and teachers would fool the children in some way. But the celebration of this day has died out in favor of April Fools ' Day. Nevertheless, on the Spanish island of Menorca, Dia d'enganyar ( `` Fooling day '' ) is celebrated on April 1 because Menorca was a British possession during part of the 18th century. In Brazil, the `` Dia da mentira '' ( `` Day of the lie '' ) is also celebrated on April 1. In Iran, on 13th of the first month ( Farvardin ) of the Iranian calendar ( known as Nature 's day or Sizdah Be-dar, 1st or 2nd of April ), it is common that people spread false news and then shout `` Doroughe sizdah '' ( lie of 13 ) to the victim. Some of the newspapers and journals also do the same and then somewhere in the bottom of page write `` Doroughe sizdah '' with inverse letters. Reception The practice of April Fool pranks and hoaxes is controversial. The mixed opinions of critics are epitomised in the reception to the 1957 BBC `` Spaghetti - tree hoax '', in reference to which, newspapers were split over whether it was `` a great joke or a terrible hoax on the public ''. The positive view is that April Fools ' can be good for one 's health because it encourages `` jokes, hoaxes... pranks, ( and ) belly laughs '', and brings all the benefits of laughter including stress relief and reducing strain on the heart. There are many `` best of '' April Fools ' Day lists that are compiled in order to showcase the best examples of how the day is celebrated. Various April Fools ' campaigns have been praised for their innovation, creativity, writing, and general effort. The negative view describes April Fools ' hoaxes as `` creepy and manipulative '', `` rude '' and `` a little bit nasty '', as well as based on schadenfreude and deceit. When genuine news or a genuine important order or warning is issued on April Fools ' Day, there is risk that it will be misinterpreted as a joke and ignored -- for example, when Google, known to play elaborate April Fools ' Day hoaxes, announced the launch of Gmail with 1 - gigabyte inboxes in 2004, an era when competing webmail services offered 4 - megabytes or less, many dismissed it as a joke outright. On the other hand, sometimes stories intended as jokes are taken seriously. Either way, there can be adverse effects, such as confusion, misinformation, waste of resources ( especially when the hoax concerns people in danger ) and even legal or commercial consequences. People obeying hoax messages to telephone `` Mr. C. Lion '' and `` Mr. L.E. Fant '' and suchlike at a telephone number that turns out to be a zoo, sometimes cause a serious overload to zoos ' telephone switchboards. Other examples of genuine news on April 1 mistaken as a hoax include : 1 April 1946 : Warnings about the Aleutian Island earthquake 's tsunami that killed 165 people on Hawaii and Alaska 1 April 2005 : News that the comedian Mitch Hedberg had died on 29 March 2005 1 April 2005 : Announcement about Powerpuff Girls Z, by Aniplex, Cartoon Network and Toei Animation In popular culture Books, films, telemovies and television episodes have used April Fool 's Day as their title or inspiration. Examples include Bryce Courtenay 's novel April Fool 's Day ( 1993 ), whose title refers to the day Courtenay 's son died. The 1990s sitcom Roseanne featured an episode titled `` April Fools ' Day ''. This turned out to be intentionally misleading, as the episode was about Tax Day in the United States on April 15 -- the last day to submit the previous year 's tax information. See also Comedy portal List of April Fools ' Day jokes List of practical joke topics Veneralia References Jump up ^ Bonner, John ; Curtis, George William ; Alden, Henry Mills ; Samuel Stillman Conant ; John Foord ; Montgomery Schuyler ; John Kendrick Bangs ; Richard Harding Davis ; Carl Schurz ; George Brinton McClellan Harvey ; Henry Loomis Nelson ; Norman Hapgood ( 1908 ). Harper 's Weekly. Harper 's Magazine Company. p. 6. Retrieved on March 31, 2018 Jump up ^ Ashley Ross ( March 31, 2016 ). `` No Kidding : We Have No Idea How April Fools ' Day Started ''. Time Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2018. Jump up ^ The Canterbury Tales, `` The Nun 's Priest 's Tale '' - `` Chaucer in the Twenty - First Century '', University of Maine at Machias, September 21, 2007 Jump up ^ Compare to Valentine 's Day, a holiday that originated with a similar misunderstanding of Chaucer. Jump up ^ Carol Poster, Richard J. Utz, Disputatio : an international transdisciplinary journal of the late middle ages, Volume 2, pp. 16 -- 17 ( 1997 ). ^ Jump up to : Boese, Alex ( 2008 ) `` April Fools Day -- Origin '' Museum of Hoaxes Jump up ^ Eloy d'Amerval, Le Livre de la Deablerie, Librairie Droz, p. 70. ( 1991 ). `` De maint homme et de mainte fame, poisson d'Apvril vien tost a moy. '' Jump up ^ Groves, Marsha, Manners and Customs in the Middle Ages, p. 27 ( 2005 ). ^ Jump up to : `` April Fools ' Day ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 4, 2013. Jump up ^ Santino, Jack ( 1972 ). All around the year : holidays and celebrations in American life. University of Illinois Press. p. 97. ISBN 978 - 0 - 252 - 06516 - 3. Jump up ^ McDonald, Bertha R. ( 7 March 1908 ). `` The Oldest Custom in the World ''. Harper 's Weekly. Vol. 52 no. 2672. p. 26. ^ Jump up to : Opie, Iona & Peter ( 1960 ). The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren. Oxford University Press. pp. 245 -- 46. ISBN 0 - 940322 - 69 - 2. ^ Jump up to : Archie Bland ( April 1, 2009 ). `` The Big Question : How did the April Fool 's Day tradition begin, and what are the best tricks ? ''. The Independent. Retrieved April 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Different names in Different parts of England ''. April Fool 's Day. April 1, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Haggerty, Bridget. `` April Fool 's Day ''. Irish Culture and Customs. Retrieved April 3, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Origin of April Fools ' Day ''. The Express Tribune. Retrieved May 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` April Fool 's Day : 8 Interesting Things And Hoaxes You Did n't Know ''. International Business Times. Retrieved May 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` April Fools ' Day in India ''. Jump up ^ `` Swiss Spaghetti Harvest ''. Retrieved 1 November 2013. Jump up ^ Moran, Rob ( April 4, 2014 ). `` NPR 's Brilliant April Fools ' Day Prank Was Sadly Lost On Much Of The Internet ''. Retrieved April 6, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Avui és el Dia d'Enganyar a Menorca '' ( Today is Fooling Day on Minorca ) ( in Catalan ). Vilaweb. April 1, 2003. Retrieved April 4, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Doll, Jen ( April 1, 2013 ). `` Is April Fools ' Day the Worst Holiday ? -- Yahoo News ''. Yahoo ! News. Retrieved April 1, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Is this the best April Fool 's ever ? ''. BBC. Retrieved April 1, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Why April Fools ' Day is Good For Your Health -- Health News and Views ''. News.Health.com. April 1, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2014. Jump up ^ `` April Fools : the best online pranks SBS News ''. Sbs.com.au. Retrieved April 1, 2014. Jump up ^ Harry McCracken ( April 1, 2013 ). `` Google 's Greatest April Fools ' Hoax Ever ( Hint : It Was n't a Hoax ) ''. TIME.com. Retrieved August 1, 2014. Jump up ^ Lisa Baertlein ( April 1, 2004 ). `` Google : ' Gmail ' no joke, but lunar jobs are ''. Reuters. Retrieved August 1, 2014. Jump up ^ Woods, Michael ( April 2, 2013 ). `` Brazeau tweets his resignation on April Fool 's Day, causing confusion -- National ''. Globalnews.ca. Retrieved April 1, 2014. Jump up ^ Hasham, Nicole ( April 3, 2013 ). `` ASIC to look into prank Metgasco email from schoolgirl Kudra Falla - Ricketts ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved April 3, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Justin Bieber 's Believe album hijacked by DJ Paz ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Powerpuff Girls Z Debut ''. Further reading Wainwright, Martin ( 2007 ). The Guardian Book of April Fool 's Day. Aurum. ISBN 1 - 84513 - 155 - X Dundes, Alan ( 1988 ). `` April Fool and April Fish : Towards a Theory of Ritual Pranks ''. Etnofoor. 1 ( 1 ) : 4 -- 14. JSTOR 25757645. External links Find more aboutApril Fools ' Dayat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Wikinews has related news : Ten April Fool 's pranks of 2009 Wikipedia victim of onslaught of April Fool 's jokes Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article April - Fools ' Day. `` Top 100 April Fools ' Day hoaxes of all time ''. Museum of Hoaxes. `` April Fools ' Day On The Web : List of all known April Fools ' Day Jokes websites from 2004 until present ''. Library resources about April Fools ' Day Resources in your library Resources in other libraries Media manipulation Context Bias Crowd psychology Deception Dumbing down False balance Half - truths Machiavellianism Media Obfuscation Orwellian Persuasion Psychological manipulation Activism Alternative media Boycott Civil disobedience Culture jamming Demonstrations Guerrilla communication Hacktivism Internet Media Occupations Petitions Protests Youth Advertising Billboards False Infomercials Mobiles Modeling Radio Sex Slogans Testimonials TV Criticism of advertising Censorship Regulation Books Broadcast law Burying of scholars Corporate Cover - ups Euphemism Films Historical negationism Internet Political Religious Self Hoaxing Alternative facts April Fools ' Fake news website Fakelore Fictitious entries Forgery Gaslighting List Literary Racial Urban legend Virus Marketing Branding Loyalty Product Product placement Publicity Research Word of mouth News media Agenda - setting Broadcasting Circus Cycle False balance Infotainment Managing Narcotizing dysfunction Newspeak Pseudo-event Scrum Sensationalism Tabloid journalism Political campaigning Advertising Astroturfing Attack ad Canvassing Character assassination Charm offensive Dog - whistle politics Election promises Lawn signs Manifestos Name recognition Negative Push polling Smear campaign Wedge issue Propaganda Bandwagon Crowd manipulation Disinformation Fearmongering Framing Indoctrination Loaded language Lying press National mythology Techniques Psychological warfare Airborne leaflets False flag Fifth column Information ( IT ) Lawfare Political Public diplomacy Sedition Subversion Public relations Cult of personality Doublespeak Non-apology apology Reputation management Slogans Sound bites Spin Transfer Understatement Weasel words Sales Cold calling Door - to - door Pricing Product demonstrations Promotion Promotional merchandise Telemarketing Holidays, observances, and celebrations in Algeria January New Year 's Day ( 1 ) Yennayer ( 12 ) February Valentine 's Day ( 14 ) Tafsut ( 28 ) March International Women 's Day ( 8 ) Victory Day ( 19 ) World Water Day ( 22 ) Maghrebi Blood Donation Day ( 30 ) Spring vacation ( 2 last weeks ) April April Fools ' Day ( 1 ) Knowledge Day ( 16 ) Berber Spring ( 20 ) Earth Day ( 22 ) Election Day ( Thursday ) May International Workers ' Day ( 1 ) World Press Freedom Day ( 3 ) Mother 's Day ( last Sunday ) June -- July -- August Summer vacation ( varies ) June Children 's Day ( 1 ) Father 's Day ( 21 ) July Independence Day ( 5 ) September International Day of Peace ( 21 ) October International Day of Non-Violence ( 2 ) Halloween ( 31 ) November Revolution Day ( 1 ) December Christmas Eve ( 24 ) Christmas ( 25 ) New Year 's Eve ( 31 ) Winter vacation ( 2 last weeks ) Varies ( year round ) Hijri New Year 's Day ( Muharram 1 ) Ashura ( Muharram 10 ) Mawlid ( Rabi ' al - Awwal 12 ) Ramadan ( Ramadan 1 ) Laylat al - Qadr ( Ramadan 27 ) Eid al - Fitr ( Shawwal 1 ) Day of Arafah ( Dhu al - Hijjah 9 ) Eid al - Adha ( Dhu al - Hijjah 10 ) Holi ( varies ) Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in Algeria, which often represent the major celebrations of the month. 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See also : Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, public holidays in the United States, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. 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Question: when does april fools day end at noon
Answer: April 1st