The Grafton
Fool be you...
Keep an eye out on April 1 for all the great jokes and pranks that can confuse and amuse.
Said to have originated with the adoption of the new Gregorian calendar in place of the old Julian calendar in 1582, April Fools Day was celebrated as the New Year's Day. It evolved to its present form of a day of fun associated with the beginning of spring through several centuries and cultures.
It is worth noting that many different cultures have had days of foolishness around the start of April. The Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25, rejoicing in the resurrection of the life-death-rebirth deity Attis. The Hindu calendar has Holi, and the Jewish calendar has Purim. Clearly there's something about the time of year, with its turn from winter to spring, that lends itself to light hearted celebrations.
In the UK, we’re known for some of the classic April Fool’s pranks. Here’s a selection of some of the best:
Spaghetti trees: Panorama ran a famous hoax in 1957, showing the Swiss harvesting spaghetti from trees following the eradication of the spaghetti weevil. A large number of people contacted the BBC wanting to know how to cultivate their own spaghetti trees.
Smell-o-vision: In 1965, the BBC said it had trialed a new technology allowing the transmission of odor over the airwaves to all viewers. Many viewers reportedly contacted the BBC to report the trial's success.
Anti-gravity: Eleven years after the 'smell-o-vision' stunt, BBC Radio 2 aired an announcement by astronomer Patrick Moore that at 9:47am the audience could all experience once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event in which the planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter and thus, due to the gravitational alignment during this planet, the Earth's gravity would lessen and people could jump higher at that very moment and may even have a floating sensation like astronauts in space.
Germans adopt the pound: In 2004, the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 reported that Germany had pulled out of the Euro but, as the German Mark was no longer in existence, they were in negotiations to join the British pound. Outraged listeners called in their hundreds to say that such a move would be an assault on British sovereignty.
The Archers: In 2005, BBC Radio 4's Today Programme announced that the long-running serial The Archers had changed their theme tune to an upbeat disco style.
Phone call: In 1998, UK presenter Nic Tuff of West Midlands radio station Kix 96 pretended to be the then Prime Minister Tony Blair when he called the then South African President Nelson Mandela for a chat. It was only at the end of the call when Nic asked Nelson what he was doing for April Fool's Day that the line went dead.
National anthem: In 1999, BBC Radio 4’s Today program announced a decision by British Parliament to change the British National anthem from the monopoly-advocating "God Save the Queen" to a Euro Anthem sung in German that used extracts from Beethoven's music. Pupils of a German school in London sang the anthem that was aired. It is said that even the royal family was stunned with the announcement and Prince Charles's office telephoned Radio 4 to ask them for a copy of the new anthem. Though, St. James Palace insisted later that it had not been fooled but was only playing along with the prank.