Don’t trust everything you see today (or any day), and be sure to find out whether “April Fool’s Day”, “April Fools’ Day” or “April Fools Day” is correct.
Although not a public holiday, April Fools’ Day reminds us all to not take life too seriously. (When I was young, my Mom would help me put salt in the sugar bowl before my Dad had his breakfast. Invariably, he would pile the “sugar” on his cereal and then make a face after his first taste, sending me into a fit of giggles as I hid around the corner. For years, I thought we had actually fooled him!)
Theories abound as to the history of this day. Does it link back to the festival of Hilaria, where Roman citizens dressed in costumes and disguises to celebrate the end of winter? Or was it related to the tricks played by Mother Nature at this time of year?
Whatever the history, did you know that a famous prank was played by the BBC in 1957? They aired coverage of Swiss spaghetti farmers – you can see the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVo_wkxH9dU&t=70s.
Oh, about that apostrophe? According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the correct way to write this day is April Fools’ Day, with the plural and possessive Fools’ before “Day”. After all, this day surely belongs to more than one fool! (And, yes, that image is – in my opinion – wrong!)