Table of Contents
- France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and Italy: the reign of April Fish
- United Kingdom, United States, Australia and New Zealand: April Fool's Day
- Scotland: Huntigowk Day, a two-day celebration
- Japan: the season of 10,000 absurdities
- Brazil and Portugal: the day of lies
- Spain, Mexico and the Hispanic world: Día de los Santos Inocentes
- FAQ
Every year, April 1st opens a joyful parenthesis in the calendar: a false piece of news slips into conversation, a paper fish is placed on a colleague's back, the press is read with an amused eye. But this ritual, celebrated on every continent, changes face depending on where you are. A brief tour of the world's customs linked to this day placed under the sign of deception.
France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and Italy: the reign of the fish
In the English-speaking European area and beyond, April 1st is lived in a fairly homogeneous form. The origins of the tradition remain debated: some historians link it to ancient Greece and a festival in honour of the god of laughter, others to the calendar reform carried out by Charles IX in 1564, which allegedly moved the beginning of the year from spring to January 1st, turning latecomers into targets of jokes.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the April Fish tradition involved sending finely illustrated postcards, where the animal was adorned with flowers, ribbons or gallant scenes. The card gradually disappeared in favour of a more childish ritual: the paper fish discreetly glued to a friend's back, followed by the famous cry of "April Fish!" when the victim discovers the trick.
The practice does not stop at the schoolyard. Media, brands and institutions willingly seize the day to slip in a carefully constructed false piece of information. The RATP, for example, had fun in 2017 renaming certain stations on the Paris metro: Crimée became Châtiment, Pyramides changed to Cleopatra, and passengers discovered their favourite puns as they left the trains.
United Kingdom, United States, Australia and New Zealand: April Fool's Day
In the English-speaking world, April 1st is called April Fool's Day, literally "the day of April's fools". The spirit remains very close to what we know in France: we imagine pranks, we trick our loved ones, we set innocent traps. But here, the stakes are mainly played out in the press and on television.
The BBC has even built a reputation for it. As early as 1957, its famous sequence about "spaghetti growing on trees" in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland had fooled thousands of viewers. The channel has done so many times: in 2008, it announced on the news the discovery of a species of flying penguins, with faked video footage; in 2013, it revealed that William Shakespeare was actually… French.
When April 1st comes, it's best to approach Anglo-Saxon headlines with a good dose of scepticism.
Scotland: Huntigowk Day, a celebration lasting two days
Scotland cultivates its uniqueness even in its pranks. There, April 1st is called Huntigowk Day, a contraction of "hunt the gowk" — literally "hunt the cuckoo", in other words "pursue the fool". The cuckoo, a bird associated with naivety in Scottish folklore, lends its name to the day's dupe.
Another peculiarity: the celebration stretches over two days. April 1st is devoted to classic jokes, but on April 2nd – called Tailie Day – people have fun sticking a paper tail or "kick me" sign on the back of their loved ones. A way to prolong the pleasure and add an extra touch to the local repertoire.
Japan: the season of 10,000 absurdities
In Japan, April 1st marks above all the beginning of the cherry blossom season, that time when parks are covered with pink petals and families get together for hanami. But this date also coincides with what is sometimes called the "bangusetsu", translatable as "the season of 10,000 absurdities".
The custom of fish on the back is not practised, but the tradition of media pranks has become firmly established. A few examples that have remained in people's minds: in 2003, the Tokyo Newspaper announced the discovery of 110 billion barrels of oil in Tokyo Bay; in 2013, Domino's Pizza proudly unveiled its canned pizza; in 2014, Ueno Zoo claimed to have identified a giant penguin among its residents. So many highly ritualized jokes that remind us that Japanese humour can also be absurd.
Brazil and Portugal: the day of lies
In the Portuguese-speaking world, April 1st bears the lovely name of "Dia das Mentiras", or "the day of lies". In Brazil as in Portugal, the day certainly lends itself to verbal jokes and false information, but a local custom survives in certain regions: throwing a handful of flour on the face or clothes of loved ones or even strangers met in the street. A floury prank that echoes, in spirit, certain Iberian carnivals where people splash each other with eggs or scented water.
Spain, Mexico and the Hispanic world: Día de los Santos Inocentes
In Spain, Mexico, Latin America and Hispanic communities as far as the Philippines, people don't joke on April 1st: the meeting of the year takes place on December 28th, the day of "Día de los Santos Inocentes", the Day of the Holy Innocents. This celebration finds its origin in a tragic biblical episode – the massacre of children ordered by Herod – but it has gradually transformed into a day of pranks, as if by reversal.
The traditional prank consists of stealing an object belonging to a loved one, then replacing it with a sweet accompanied by a small mocking note telling them they've been tricked. Hispanic newspapers and television channels also compete with imagination, broadcasting improbable news on that day that is in good taste to take with a smile.
FAQ
Why do we speak of "April fish" in France?
Several hypotheses exist. The most widespread evokes the end of Lent, a period during which a lot of fish was consumed, or the passage of the Sun out of the astrological sign of Pisces at the end of March. Another lead links the tradition to the calendar reform in the 16th century, where false gifts – including fish – would have been given to those who continued to celebrate New Year's in spring.
Is April 1st an official holiday anywhere?
No. In none of the countries mentioned is it a public holiday or an official celebration. It is a popular custom, transmitted by usage, which persists in schools, families, but also increasingly in the media and marketing.
Which countries don't celebrate April 1st at all?
The Hispanic world prefers December 28th. More broadly, countries without a marked Western Christian heritage (much of the Middle East, Southeast Asia or Africa) have not adopted this tradition, even though globalization and social media are gradually contributing to its spread.
What is the most famous April Fool's Day prank in history?
The prank of "spaghetti growing on trees", broadcast by the BBC in 1957, remains a worldwide reference. A few decades later, in 1996, the American channel Taco Bell announced that it had purchased the Liberty Bell to rename it "Taco Liberty Bell" – a prank that had caused an uproar before the trick was revealed.
How to react to false information on April 1st?
The simplest reflex: check the publication date, cross-reference the information with other sources and enjoy the editorial creativity. Many newsrooms deliberately slip a clue into their prank, provided you read carefully until the last paragraph.
Florine Dergelet