April fools’ Day or April Fish Day?

April 1st is known as April Fools’ Day worldwide, but France likes to be slightly different from the rest by calling it "Poisson d’Avril". Discover why!

What doesn’t change, however, is that April 1st is the one day when pranks, jokes, and hoaxes are not just accepted but expected!

The true essence of the joke must be to make someone believe something that is not actually true and later tell them they were tricked—basically, playing on someone's credulity.

What is the origin of this celebration? 

There are many hypotheses regarding the creation of this special day, but none of these theories are certain.

In France, before 1564 and a legal reform, the beginning of the year was at the end of March (or the beginning of April), coinciding with the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. To celebrate the new year, people used to exchange new year presents. However, in the 16th century, with limited means of communication, some people didn’t realize that the calendar had changed and continued celebrating the New Year in April. Therefore, to mock those who were unaware, others thought it was funny to trick them with fake presents or jokes.

Another theory is that April 1st was also the date chosen in Antiquity to celebrate the god of laughter.

Why the fish? 

Once again, the reason behind the fish remains uncertain.

Historians believe that the symbol is associated with Christianity, as April 1st falls during Lent, a period when fish is predominantly eaten and was also gifted for the New Year. As mentioned earlier, when the New Year’s date changed, people started gifting fake fish to mock those who hadn’t caught on.

Today, young children at school usually draw fish, stick them on each other’s backs, make jokes, and then excitedly yell "Poisson d’Avril!"

The idea of the fish also symbolizes the gullibility of a person, similar to a fish taking the bait.

Other countries have incorporated the fish into their traditions. For instance, in the Netherlands, the tradition is to throw a herring at people while screaming "Haringgek"!

In short, believe whichever theory you prefer and keep an eye on your back… or you might just end up with a fish stuck to it!

And most importantly, today and every day, beware of fake news!