Laughter Day (Fool's Day)

Symbol of the holiday in Italy and some other countries - Fish“April Fish” (pesce d’aprile), this is how this international holiday is called in Italy, which is both in France (Poisson d’Avril), in Germany (Aprilscherz), and in many English-speaking countries (April fool’s day), even in India (Huli, March 31) and in Mexico (El Dia de los Innocentes, very similar to April Fools, but celebrated on December 28). As in all other countries, the essence of the Italian “April Fish” consists in pranks and jokes in relation to others.

Italian jokes, I must say, are much more harmless, for example, Scottish, because here it is customary to attach to the “victims” not inscriptions like “Kick me!”, but only a pretty paper fish, lovingly drawn, painted and carved.

If we discuss the origins of the holiday, then the first thing to note is the many options for explaining why, where and why people began to joke about each other on this day and, especially (!), where did the April Fish come from?

So, let us tell the most plausible and noteworthy stories...

It is said that the festival began in 1564 in France. King Charles IX decided to modify the calendar and celebrate the New Year not on April 1, as before, but on January 1. Everyone obeyed, and on January 1, they really celebrated the New Year, had fun, gave each other gifts, but when the day of April 1 came, some of the residents decided to celebrate the New Year once again for a joke, but already “pretty”, with fake congratulations and gifts. Hence, they say, the tradition of making fun of each other on April 1st.

Then what does it have to do with the fish? It is a reasonable question, but there is an answer in the form of a different story.

One day a man decided to make fun of the fishermen and threw smoked herring into the river with shouts “Here is a fish for the first of April!” Everyone is hanging fish on each other’s backs.

However, connoisseurs of astrology argue that this is not why, but because at the beginning of April, the moon emerges from the zodiac sign exactly Fish. Then why joke? They don't explain that ...

Anyway, there are many hypotheses about the origin of the holiday, and all of them have the right to exist. We have a little bit of fun, and we have a little bit of fun.

How to make sure that your best friend, brother, matchmaker or just the first passer-by on the Italian street does not “joke” you? Knowledge is power, knowledge is armed. Read about typical Italian jokes and try not to fall into their insidious traps!

First of all, check more often if the April Fish on your back is chatting with a charming ponytail.

If it rains on April 1st, confetti can get into your umbrella "by accident and from where" so that when you open it, there will be fireworks.

All the clocks in the house can be changed to an hour ago. Be vigilant!!!

Sugar in the sugar bowl miraculously turns into salt, and in the salt shaker, on the contrary, sugar appears.

In bed you, like a princess on a pea, are waiting for a couple of dozen hidden bottle caps!

Do not succumb to provocations and go to the store in search of a “new product” (be it water pen, sweet vinegar, wine from Antarctica, bread and licorice, etc.), even if the requesters are very convincing. Remember, today is the first of April!!

You can make a date at a non-existent address or ask to call back on the “left” phone. Be vigilant!

But, of course, the final list of what is above, you can not name, who knows them, the Italians, what else they will come up with?! The best defense is attack! You can make fun of it, it’s April one!!