April or All Fools' Day
April or All Fools’ Day
1 April is another well known and popular day with its tradition of people making fools of each other by playing practical jokes. The origins of this custom are obscure but it has been in common practice throughout the world for at least 300 years and enjoyed by all age groups. The range of jokes is limitless, spanning from a simple untruth about somebody’s appearance to elaborate hoaxes played on a whole population by the media. Reading a newspaper on this day can be a little confusing and sightings of unidentified flying objects (with actual photographs) abound. Spaghetti-trees were featured on one famous TV news item in the 1960’s, resulting in a huge mailbag asking where saplings could be purchased!
The work place has produced some of the best ruses and young apprentices have borne the brunt of many pointless errands and impossible tasks over the years. Sending someone to fetch a can of striped paint, or even for a ‘long stand’ or a ‘short weight’. In Scotland, the great scam was Huntigowk Day. This was where an unsuspecting should would be sent on a fool’s errand to deliver a letter to a person who, having read the instructions contained, would then sent the letter with the bearer to somewhere else’s…and so on. This could take all day!
But remember, All Fool’s Day is actually only half a day. It begins at midnight and finishes at noon. Play a joke after the deadline and you might get shouted in your ear:
April Fool’s gone and past
You’re the biggest fool at last!
This page is part of our Beginners’ Guide: British Folk Customs From Plough Monday to Hocktide.
