April Fools Day is a day for many pranks and jokes (Image: Getty) Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show me See Our Privacy Notice See Our Privacy Notice × Group 28 Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up No thanks, close We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice April Fools’ Day is fast approaching with it just days - in fact - hours away. But whilst many people like to play pranks, folk say there's a cut off point with it being midday on April 1. But is this true? To help avoid confusion, the team at Slingo have explained what April Fools’ Day is, the rules of the day and its traditions. Here is what you need to know. Read More Related Articles Lesser-known condition that causes breathing problems as expert warns 'see GP' Read More Related Articles Hairdresser says you'll look '10 years younger' if you stop three simple habits April 1 is essentially a free pass to prank
Friends, families, partners and colleagues. But there's of course some lines you shouldn't cross - and knowing that is key to a good prank. Dom Aldworth, Head of Brand Marketing at Slingo comments: “April Fools’ Day is one of the world’s most popular non-religious holidays worldwide, offering an opportunity for people to have a joke and a laugh. While lighthearted pranks and tricks are encouraged, being aware of the rules and limits of the day is important especially as pranking has become rather extreme in today’s digital age." When should you stop telling April Fools’ jokes? April Fools’ jokes should only be told until noon (Image: Getty) April Fools’ jokes should only be told until midday on April 1. After noon, you should come clean on your prank or you can be referred to as the April Fool. This rule has a range of theories, including the idea that the day honours the spirit of Folly, a force believed to be very powerful. Because of this, the day needs to be contained within some sort of limit to avoid outright chaos. Another potential explanation is that people ‘wise up throughout the day’, whereas in the morning people are more susceptible and gullible. Top Trending Stories Today
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Spain tourist taxi warning Where did April Fools’ Day originate from? While there is no confirmed theory for the origin of the day, one popular theory says that April Fools’ Day is linked to the vernal equinox. The unpredictable and changeable weather around this time led to the idea that Mother Nature was fooling people. With the end of winter, some April Fools’ Day history could be linked to the idea that creative energies return as spring starts. However, the spring equinox does not occur on April 1, leading to the question of how we have come to celebrate on this particular day. The experts say that another popular theory stems from
France. In 1582, the country switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. In the Julian Calendar, the new year begins with the spring equinox around April 1, whereas the new year in the Julian calendar starts on January 1. People who continued to celebrate the New Year around April 1 were called “April fools” for failing to recognise the change of the calendars. Another popular theory among historians comes from ancient Rome. Hilaria, which is Latin for joyful, were festivals was celebrated towards the end of March by followers of the cult of Cybele and entailed members of the cult dressing up in disguises and mocking and pulling jokes towards citizens. The festival was said to be inspired by the Egyptian legends of Osiris,
ISIS, and Seth and is now said to have potentially inspired April Fools’ Day as we know it today. Join the Daily Record
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BREAKING news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile , select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Does April Fools’ Day have rules? April Fool's Day is not a day where you should do any prank you feel like - and you should put some boundaries and rules in place. There are a range of unwritten rules which have years of tradition and should be observed. Follow all legal rules in your country While it may seem obvious, remember all pranks perpetrated need to abide by the law. Using the reasoning on April Fools’ will not stop you from getting in trouble with the law as evidenced by an incident in 2021 where a woman was arrested after pranking her sister by claiming there was an active shooter at work. All pranks need to be done by noon After noon, anyone who tries to play a prank is the fool themselves so make sure to partake in your pranks and tricks before the midday cutoff. This rule can be traced back as early as 1851 in a passage written in a
British Journal which said those who played pranks afternoon would be told: “April fool's gone past, You're the biggest fool at last.” Do not harm or injure another person April Fools’ pranks should always be lighthearted as the idea behind the day is to make people look foolish and inconvenienced. This means pranks should never involve actual violence or harm whether physical or psychological. Here are some ideas for lighthearted and harmless pranks for 2024: Letter glitter bombs Tape over TV remote sensors Dye milk with food colouring Switch the bags in your cereal boxes Switch out the wrappers of any leftover small chocolate eggs and place them over grapes Put peanut butter on your toilet paper Read More Related Articles Win £100 shopping voucher to celebrate the return of Aldi’s Next Big Thing Dom stresses: “However you choose to celebrate, ensure you have people’s best interests at heart. While this day is a celebration of mischief and foolery, there are limits to this. Whether you are in the office, at home or with friends, be safe, have fun and pull off some great pranks and remember to get them all in before noon - you don’t want to known as be the biggest fool of the day!” Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter . Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow Daily Record
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