From Ancient Rome to Googly Eyes: The Evolution of April Fools’
From elementary school to time spent in the office, April Fools’ Day has been celebrated every April 1st, for better or for worse.
While we know the day revolves around practical jokes or pranks, many don’t see the holiday’s origins, and where it comes from remains a bit of a mystery. In Ancient Rome, there was a festival known as Hilaria, celebrated at the end of March. People dressed up in costumes, disguising themselves as acquaintances and even magistrates to mock each other, inspired by Egyptian legends.
In the 1500s, France changed their calendar to begin on January 1st instead of what once started around Easter. Because it took quite some time for people to catch onto the new change, many became the butt of jokes. Citizens of France would tape paper fishes on the backs of partying people, calling those late to the notice the “poisson d’avril,” meaning April fish.
In the 1700s, the people of Scotland held a two-day event called “hunting the gowk,” in which peers made each other run phony errands. This was followed by Tailie Day, in which citizens pinned fake tails or “kick me” signs on people’s behinds.
While we can’t pinpoint the exact event that created this funny holiday, it’s celebrated worldwide today. Pop culture outlets have notoriously pushed April Fools’ Day by publicly displaying pranks. For example, National Public Radio used an actor who resembled President Richard Nixon, and he told the nation that he was running for another term, leaving the country in shock in 1992, only to find out later it was a joke.
Ready to inject some fun? Here are five harmless April Fools’ ideas for the office.
- Stick googly eyes on everything in a coworker’s workspace: monitors, staplers, and pens.
- Cover a coworker’s entire workspace in Post-it notes.
- Change a coworker’s desktop background to something silly, like a cat picture or a funny meme.
- Put signs on the office kitchen appliances that say “voice-activated” and watch as people try to talk to the coffee maker.
- Fill a coworker’s office or cubicle with balloons.
While these April Fools’ pranks are all fun and games, a seemingly minor glitch in your equipment can escalate into a significant production halt, costing you valuable time and resources. Don’t get fooled by faulty equipment! Call us today!