April Fools' Day

April Fools' Day is 1 April, and in Britain there is a rule most of the world does not have: pranks are supposed to stop at midday. Anyone still going in the afternoon is the fool.

Below: what is known about the origins, the best British hoaxes, and how to prank someone without ruining their week.

Where it came from - honestly, nobody is certain

• One popular theory links it to France's 16th-century calendar change, with those still celebrating new year in spring mocked as fools. Historians consider it unproven.
• Chaucer's Nun's Priest's Tale contains an ambiguous date reference sometimes read as an early joke about the day.
• Similar spring trickery traditions exist across Europe, including the French poisson d'avril paper fish.
• In Scotland it was traditionally 'Hunt the Gowk Day', a gowk being a cuckoo, and spread over two days.
• The honest answer: the origin is genuinely unclear and most confident explanations online are guesses.

The British midday rule

• Pranks traditionally must be played before noon on 1 April.
• Anyone attempting one after midday becomes the fool themselves.
• The custom is widely observed in the UK and Ireland and largely unknown in the US.
• It has the useful effect of capping the whole business at half a day.

Great British hoaxes

• 1957: Panorama reported a Swiss spaghetti harvest, with footage of women picking pasta from trees. Viewers rang the BBC asking how to grow their own.
• 1976: astronomer Patrick Moore announced on Radio 2 that a planetary alignment would briefly reduce gravity. Listeners rang in to say they had floated.
• 1980: the BBC reported that Big Ben would go digital, prompting genuine complaints.
• 1998: Burger King's US advert for a 'left-handed Whopper' had customers ordering both versions.
• The pattern: an authoritative voice, a plausible detail, and one absurdity stated flatly.

Harmless prank ideas

• Swap the contents of the biscuit tin for something virtuous.
• Put googly eyes on everything in the fridge.
• Change the office kettle's label to something bureaucratic.
• Wrap someone's desk items in foil, neatly, so it is clearly affectionate.
• Set a colleague's mouse pointer speed slightly - only slightly - wrong.
• Send a card claiming an entirely fictional occasion.

Rules for not ruining it

• Never prank about money, health, jobs or relationships.
• The target should be able to laugh within ten seconds.
• If it requires an apology, it was not a prank.
• Punch sideways, never down - not at the newest or most junior person.
• Stop at noon. That is the whole charm of the British version.

Browse funny cards

How to write it so it lands

• The best hoaxes are delivered completely straight. Winking ruins it.
• If you would have to apologise afterwards, do not do it.

Where to shop next

• Why laughter matters
• The science of smiling
• A short history of British comedy
• Best British sitcom one-liners
• Feel good days of the year
• World Smile Day
• International Day of Happiness
• April Fools' Day
• Random acts of kindness ideas
• Gifts to make someone smile
• Funny one liners
• Office jokes
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

Why do April Fools' pranks stop at midday?

It is a long-standing British and Irish custom - anyone playing a trick after noon is considered the fool. The rule is not observed in most other countries.

What was the BBC spaghetti tree hoax?

A 1957 Panorama item showing a Swiss family harvesting spaghetti from trees. It is still regarded as one of the most successful broadcast hoaxes ever made.