April Fools!
April 1
April 1 is known as April Fools’ Day. In many countries, including the United States, it is the custom to play tricks on people on April 1. A favorite joke is to send someone on a fool’s errand, a search for something that does not exist. In the United States, the victim is called an April Fool.
Even major corporations are joining in on April 1 mischief. For example, Google, Inc., a company that provides online searching and other services for Internet users around the world, announced today that they were closing YouTube, the incredibly popular video-sharing website they had bought for $1.65 billion. On its April 1 release on its blog, Google claimed that YouTube had only been purchased as a way to find the best video in the world. Virgin Airlines announced today that it was introducing glass-botttomed planes on some of its routes. The social-networking website Twitter claimed it was going to begin charging customers more for vowels. Many newspapers print special stories on April 1.
No one knows for certain where the custom of pranks on April 1 began. Some historians believe the April Fools’ custom may have started in France. There, the old New Year’s festival was observed from March 25 to April 1 and ended with an exchange of gifts. In the mid-1560′s, King Charles IX changed the New Year to January 1. People who still celebrated the New Year in April were called April fish and sent mock presents. Others theorize that April Fools’ Day may be related to the ancient Greek and Roman spring festival Hilaria, which celebrates the resurrection of the god Attis.
Additional World Book article:
