April Fool’s Day
April Fool’s Day or All Fool’s Day is celebrated every year
on the first day on April as a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes
on each other. The jokes and their victims are known as “April fools”. Hoax
stories may be reported by the press and other media on this day and explained
on subsequent days. Popular since the 19th century, the day is not a
national holiday in any country, but it is well known in Canada, Europe,
Australia, Brazil and the United States.
The practice of April Fool pranks and hoaxes is
controversial. The mixed opinions of critics are epitomized in the reception to
the 1957 “Spaghetti-tree hoax”, in reference to which, newspaper were split
over whether it was “a great joke or a terrible hoax on the public”
The positive view is that April Fools’ can be good for one’s
health because ot encourages “jokes, hoaxes… pranks” and brings all the
benefits of laughter including stress relief and reducing strain on the heart.