Although it's not a "real" holiday, those who enjoy hoaxes and pranks really love April Fool's Day. Pranks in homes and offices seem to be on the decline in recent years, while large corporations, institutions, and the media are increasing the tricks they like to play on the public. Google in particular has become quite well-known for its April Fool's Day pranks ... check out the round-up of 2014 Google April Fool's Day Jokes and keep your eye out to see what they'll do this year!
No one really knows how the holiday began. No fooling! The most popular theory is that it began in the late 1500s, when France began using the Gregorian calendar, beginning new year on January 1 instead of at the beginning of spring in late March or early April. Word of the change took a while to spread, and families in rural areas continued to celebrate the New Year in the spring. As the story goes, these uninformed countryfolk became know as "April fools."
Alex Boese, curator of the Museum of Hoaxes in San Diego, doesn't believe this interpretation. He says that the beginning of spring was only the legal start to the New Year, and that Frenchmen had been traditionally celebrating it on January 1 for as long as anyone could remember. He believes that the day simply grew out of European spring festivals of renewal, in which disguises and camouflage were a common piece of the celebration. Visit hoaxes.org to see hoaxes throughout history, a hoax photo gallery, an April Fool archive, and much more prankster fun!
Regardless of how it actually began, April 1 is as great a day as any to inject a little extra fun into your lives. Here are a few ideas for some harmless tricks that you can play on or with your kids:
- On March 31, fill a cereal bowl halfway with water (one for each of your kids). Place it in the freezer overnight. In the morning, top off the bowl with cereal and a splash of milk, and then watch your kids try to dig in to their breakfast!
- Prepare any flavor red Jell-O according to package directions. Pour into drinking glasses to chill. Add a straw and serve the "juice" with lunch or dinner.
- Put all your fruits and vegetables on the kitchen counter and add googly eyes. Our Christmas Elf, who loves playing pranks on our family, did this last December and my kids couldn't stop giggling!
- Stick large marshmallows onto the ends of the branches on one of the leafless trees in your yard. Casually mention over breakfast that you noticed the leaves were starting to come in on the tree. They'll be delighted when they see it!
- Paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish. It won't lather up when someone tries to use it.
- Serve up a bowl of fresh strawberries with some sugar for dipping ... but use salt instead!
- Change the language and the voice setting on everyone's iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.
- Use dry erase markers to give all the people in your framed family photos funny faces. Just be sure to only use it on the glass!
- Super-glue dimes and quarters to the floor of your garage and watch your kids try to pick them up. Leave a few loose ones, too, as a reward for persistence.
- Make a peanut butter and "strawberry jelly" sandwich for someone, but instead of jelly, use salsa. Only do this to someone with a solid sense of humor and a strong stomach ... my sons played this trick on my husband and he said it was disgusting with a capital "D"!
