Laughter Day (Fool's Day)

April FoolsSome believe that April 1 was originally celebrated in many countries as the spring solstice. The celebrations of the spring solstice day were accompanied by jokes, pranks and funny tricks.

There is another, more common version of the holiday. Before Charles 9 reformed France’s calendar from Victorian to Gregorian in the 16th century, New Year’s Day was celebrated not on January 1, but at the end of March. New Year’s week began on March 25 and ended on April 1. In the New Year holidays, it is customary to have fun not only now, but also those distant times. News spread very slowly at the time, and some did not receive news for several years. Some conservative (and perhaps uninformed) people continued to celebrate New Year’s Eve on April 1. Others laughed and joked with them, gave silly gifts and called April Fools. This is how the so-called Fool’s Day came about. Then it became a tradition. In Scotland, this day is called Cuckoo Day.

The usual pranks for Fool's Day are to say "you have your shoelaces untied", translate the hands of the clock. It ends with the victim being told "April's Fool." On this day it is customary to send funny cards and give gifts. These are usually funny little souvenirs. Usually jokes are played on friends and acquaintances. But the media also participates in the jokes. However, there is one specific feature: the time of drawings is limited - only up to 12 p.m.

The holiday became widespread in the 18th century. The English, Scots and French spread it in their American colonies. On the first of April, it was customary to joke about each other, as well as give each other meaningless errands, for example, to find and bring sweet vinegar.

In Scotland, April Fools Day is celebrated for 2 days. Deceived April 1 is known as “razina”. The second day of celebration has its own name - Tail Day (Taily Day) and a special specificity: all jokes and pranks of this day are dedicated exclusively to the part of the human body located below the waist from the back. Very popular is the placing of special rubber bags on the chair, which emit sounds that are considered indecent in society when pressed. Everywhere you can find pictures, posters, badges with the call “Give me a kick”, which, in fact, is the motto of Tail Day.

In the UK, we only play each other in the morning. Victims of deception are called "morons."

April Fools Day is an unofficial holiday. April 1 is not a day off, on this day do not give gifts and do not arrange feasts. Just laughter and jokes all day long! Mark Twain once said, “Be grateful to fools.” It is because of them that most of us have succeeded.

I want to note: when you think about how to make fun of a friend, do not forget that the best joke is the one over which the one over whom they joked laughs loudest.