How the world celebrates Fools’ Day

In Western cultures, Fools day is a celebration of practical jokes. In France April Fool’s Day is called “Poisson d’Avril” which translates to “April Fish.” The traditional prank in France is to send small gifts made up of small fish to friends. Another fun game in France is to try and stick a paper fish to an unsuspecting victim’s back without them noticing. In Rome, April 1 is known as the “Festival of Hileria” or “Roman Laughing Day.” It celebrates the Greek Deity Attis’s resurrection just like in any awaited fiesta. In a few Commonwealth countries (Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc.) if the prank (joke) is carried out after noon the ‘Fool’ is actually hailed as the prankster, not the victim. A few Jewish communities have ‘Purim Spiel’, which is very similar to April Fools’ Day. On this day plays also called ‘Purim Spiels’ are the ideal fun of the day. They are often played by children acting events from the Biblical Book of Esther. In the United States, Fools Day is incorporated into learning for pupils. It also is celebrated by playing lighthearted practical jokes, such as setting the clock an hour earlier to trick someone into believing they are late. The ancient civilization societies like the Greeks and Jewish highly esteem Fools Day as a celebration for change in seasons. In Africa, the day is recognized by telling practical jokes or staging tricky scenarios to fool people. If a person falls victim of the prank, he then becomes the Fool of your day. Though different societies engage differently on this day, it all comes back to light-hearted jokes and having fun. Go on and celebrate your day! Ends