April Fool's Day greeting cards

April Fools’ Day: a day of gags and gotchas, a day when the most reputable news sources run fake stories and even the most stiff-lipped, Ben-Stein-in-Ferris-Bueller boring among us show a bit of humor. It’s a day for pranksters far and wide to exercise their funny bones and a day for the more credulous among us to believe phony headlines saying that their local municipality has been attacked by Godzilla. A day when everyone has their eye out for stink bombs and soda cans stuffed with spring snakes. April Fools’ Day: the perfect time to send a joke message to old friends – or at least leave a flaming bag of something unpleasant on their doorstep.

There are many differing histories of April Fools’ Day, most of which are hoaxes themselves. One story holds that the holiday goes back to Noah’s ark; when Noah sent out one of the doves too early, the story goes, he was effectively playing the first April Fools’ prank in history. Luckily for Noah, he knew better than to play any pranks against God. Another story claims that the holiday goes back to ancient Druid festivals in Scotland, while one of the more accepted theories maintains that the tradition began after the shifting of the New Year’s celebration from Spring to Winter in 16th Century France. During this time, villagers who had received news of the new date would send others who didn’t know about it to do phony New Year’s tasks, or “fool’s errands.” Today, fool’s errands are performed throughout the year.

Whether you’re a goofball or the sullen serious type, take a moment on April Fools’ day to revel in the jokes, pranks, and merriment. But be sure to remember that the photo in your local paper of a three-headed sea monster attack is probably just some clever Photoshop work.