I was trying to figure out where April Fool’s Day originated, or why many European languages call it “Fish of April”. (For example, Italy calls the day Pesce d’Aprile and France calls it Poisson d’Avril.) I found the following blurb at InfoPlease:
In 1564 France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year’s day to January 1. However, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day April 1.
Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on “fool’s errands” or trying to trick them into believing something false.
The French came to call April 1 Poisson d’Avril, or “April Fish.” French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying “Poisson d’Avril” when the prank is discovered.
In 1752, Great Britain finally changed over to the Gregorian Calendar, and April Fool’s Day began to be celebrated in England and in the American colonies.
Oh those crazy French and their cries of laughter over … a fish. But, I suppose it does explain the phrases and where the idea of April 1 pranks came from. But now, April Fool’s pranks have matured to the point where they’re very nearly an art form.
The Museum of Hoaxes has a nice list of the top 100 April Fool’s Day pranks. And even Google is getting into the fun this year with its creation of the Google Gulp, a line of “smart drinks” designed to maximize your surfing efficiency by making you more intelligent, and less thirsty.