April Fools

In 1562, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first. There were some people, however, who hadn't heard or didn't believe the change in the date, so they continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April first.

Poisson d'AvrilIn France today, April first is called "Poisson d'Avril." French children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' backs. When the "young fool" discovers this trick, the prankster yells "Poisson d’Avril!" (April Fish!)

The best joke came from Tesco. In 2002, the company told the public that it had developed a genetically modified carrot that would start to whistle once fully cooked.