Did you know that llamas have been seen wearing pajamas? Ha, April Fools!

This is something you may have heard a lot a few days ago, considering April 1st of every year is known as April Fools’ Day!  But how did this silly holiday of pranks come about?

April Fools’ Day has always been known as a day of harmless jokes, pranks, or hoaxes.  It is more commonly celebrated in Western countries.

Some say that this tradition dates all the way back to 1582.  HISTORY.com states that the joke started from people mocking others who were slow to receive news of the switch from the Julian to Gregorian calendar.

In the Julian calendar, the new year was welcomed by the spring equinox near the 1st of April.  The Gregorian calendar celebrates the new year on January 1st.

Early April Fools pranks included having a drawing of a fish stuck to your back, or being referred to as “poisson d’avril,” calling one a fish due to their gullible nature.

These pranks have surely changed over the past centuries.  Sure, we’ve all seen a “kick me” sign in the movies, but those are usually used year-round!

There are a few famous April Fools’ jokes we all know and love, like:

• Replacing a friend’s Oreo Cream with minty white toothpaste and watching their face change as they realize what you’ve done.
• Putting googly eyes on items or household appliances!  They’re watching you…
• Taping cash to a string and tugging it across the floor as your friend chases after the ghoulish currency!
• Placing fake bugs in a purse, drawer, on a table, or even taping one inside a lampshade – an entomophobe’s worst fear!

Have you seen any of these pranks, or even pulled them, in the past?