April, 1st is known as the April Fools' Day.
On this day people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other called April fools. What is the origin of this celebration?
One theory dates it back to 1582, the year France adopted the Gregorian Calendar, which changed the observance of New Year's Day from the end of March to the first of January. But some people, out of ignorance, continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1st and
were made the butt of jokes because of their foolishness.
On this day jokes can range from simple tricks played on friends, family or colleagues to elaborate media hoaxes.
One of the greatest media hoaxes of all time was perpetrated on April 1st, 1957 by the BBC, which told the people that Switzerland was experiencing a bumper spaghetti harvest thanks to favorable weather conditions. They
showed happy peasants plucking strands of pasta from trees, it was so
convincing that many viewers called the network to ask how
they could grow their own!
Watch the video (as an Italian, I got a lot of laughs!)
What about you? Do you like playing practical jokes to your friends?
Tell us...
