Shillong, April 1: The first day of April – April Fools’ Day, is a day when people play pranks, spread hoaxes and try to trick each other for fun. It is a day of laughter, where you have to be on guard because you never know when someone might try to fool you.

Whether it is a small joke among friends or an elaborate hoax by big companies or the media, the goal is always to get people to fall for the trick and then reveal, “April Fool!”

No one knows for sure how April Fools’ Day started, but one of the most common explanations goes back to 1582, when France changed its calendar from the Julian system to the Gregorian calendar. Before the switch, the new year was celebrated around April 1st.

But when the calendar changed and the new year moved to January 1st, not everyone got the news right away. Some people kept celebrating in April, and others made fun of them by calling them “April fools” and playing pranks on them. This teasing slowly turned into a tradition of playing tricks on April 1st.

Another theory connects April Fools’ Day to ancient Roman festivals like Hilaria, where people dressed up in disguises and made fun of each other. Some historians also believe the day is related to the unpredictability of spring weather, which can suddenly change and “fool” people.

Over time, the tradition spread across the world, and different countries developed their own ways of celebrating. In France and Italy, people stick paper fish on each other’s backs as a joke, calling the victim “April Fish.”

In Scotland, April Fools’ Day used to last for two days, with people sending each other on ridiculous errands. In the UK and Ireland, pranks are only allowed until noon—after that, if you try to fool someone, you’re the fool!

Big companies, newspapers, and TV channels also love getting involved in April Fools’ Day. Some of the most famous pranks include the BBC’s 1957 “spaghetti tree” hoax, where they convinced people that pasta grew on trees in Switzerland, and Google’s fake product announcements, which they release every year to trick people.

April Fools’ Day is all about having a good laugh, but it is important to keep the jokes lighthearted and harmless.

At the end of the day, the goal isn’t to upset anyone but to spread some fun. So if you hear something unbelievable on April 1st, think twice before believing it—you just might be the next “April Fool”.

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