April Fools’ Day

April Fools' Day (sometimes called All Fools' Day) is an annual celebration in some European and Western countries commemorated on April 1 by playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. The jokes and their victims are called April fools. People playing April Fool jokes expose their prank by shouting “April fool”. Some newspapers, magazines and other published media report fake stories, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in small letters. Although popular since the 19th century, the day is not a public holiday in any country.
In the UK, an April Fool joke is revealed by shouting “April fool!” at the recipient, who becomes the “April fool”. A study in the 1950s, by folklorists Iona and Peter Opie, found that in the UK, and in countries whose traditions derived from the UK, the joking ceased at midday. A person playing a joke after midday is the “April fool” themselves.
The practice of April Fool pranks and hoaxes is controversial.
The positive view is that April Fools' can be good for one's health because it encourages jokes, hoaxes, pranks, and belly laughs, and brings all the benefits of laughter including stress relief and reducing strain on the heart.
The negative view describes April Fools' hoaxes as “creepy and manipulative”, “rude” and “a little bit nasty”, as well as based on ‘schadenfreude’ and deceit. When genuine news or a genuine important order or warning is issued on April Fools' Day, there is risk that it will be misinterpreted as a joke and ignored.