APRIL FOOLS’ DAY

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY

April Fools’ Day is celebrated all around the world on the April 1 of every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools’ Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day where everyone plays all kinds of jokes and foolishness.

The day is marked by the commission of good humoured or funny jokes, hoaxes, and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, teachers, neighbours, work associates, etc.

Traditionally, in some countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and South Africa, the jokes only last until noon, and someone who plays a trick after noon is called an “April Fool”.

Elsewhere, such as in France, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Russia, The Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Canada, and the U.S., the jokes last all day. The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1392).

Many writers suggest that the restoration of the January 1 as New Year’s Day in the 16th century was responsible for the creation of the holiday, but this theory does not explain earlier references.

For more information go to : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools’_Day

I take this occasion to recall an old Hindi movie titled ‘April Fool’ (1964) Its brief story line was as under :

Ashok comes from a wealthy family, which is run by his dad, and elder brother, Alok. Ashok himself is a slacker, and is only interested in slacking, and playing practical jokes, and no doubt his favorite day is fool’s day, April 1st, when he outdoes himself. His jokes befriend him with Madhu, and both fall in love. Then a practical joke hits the truth, and both Ashok and Madhu become targets of an international gang, and must run for their own safety, as well as for the safety of their respective families.

The cast and other details of this fun movie were :

Director: Subodh Mukherji