The tomfoolery of April Fool’s day reaches across the globe in various forms and festivals. It seems everyone enjoys a good laugh at the expense of a friend! Not all jokes are intended to be cruel. In fact, most it seems, are just meant to be fun and frivolous. Here’s what we found out about various April Fool’s spring festivals around the world.
- In Scotland, the victims of these jokes are known as ‘April Gowk’. Gawk is another name for cuckoo bird. One can trace the continuance of these tricks in the popular ‘Kick Me’ signs that are placed on the victim’s backs or behinds unknowingly to make people laugh.
- In Mexican culture, people celebrate a similar festival on December 28, which used to be a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by the cruel King Herod. Over time, it evolved into day of children’s pranks and tricks.
- English people dubbed April Fool’s victims ‘noodle’, ‘gobs’ or ‘gobby’. There is however, a protocol to English prank playing; they play pranks only in the morning because it is considered bad luck to play pranks and practical jokes after noon.
- Even the Romans celebrate a similar April Fool’s festival called Hilaria. The festival marks when the Roman God Attis was believed to have resurrected.
- The Portuguese hold a festival on the Sunday and Monday before Lent where people throw flour at their friends.
- In India, Holi is a spring festival where people play jokes on one another and smear each other’s faces with colors and flower extracts.
It is said that laughter is the best medicine so have fun this April Fool’s day and have a good laugh. Just be prepared for payback!
