April Fool’s Day

A few quotes about fools & foolish things.
However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him.
(Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux)
Looking foolish does the spirit good.
(John Updike)
Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.
(Mark Twain)
It is better to be a fool than to be dead.
(Stevenson)
The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.
(Mark Twain)

Key words:
Practical jokes
to play a trick
to fool somebody
a joker
to carry out a joke
to trick upon someone
to fall for the joke
April Fool
I think it would fool people because…

April Fool’s Day.
1.What do you know about April Fool’s Day?
2.Do you have a similar day in your country?
3.Do you like practical jokes?
4.Have you played a trick on anyone recently?
5.Who’s the joker in your class / family?

The Origin of April Fool's Day.
We are still uncertain about the origins of celebrating April 1st as April Fools Day or All Fools Day although it is now generally accepted that it originated in France in the 16th century.
The most widespread theory about the origin of April Fool's Day involves the Gregorian calendar reform of the late sixteenth century. Although popular, this theory has a number of problems with it. The theory goes like this: In 1582 France became the first country to switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar established by the Council of Trent (1563). This switch meant, among other things, that the beginning of the year was moved from the end of March to January 1. Those who failed to keep up with the change, who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th (known in England as Lady Day) and April 1st, had various jokes played on them. For instance, pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs. The victims of this prank were given the epithet Poisson d'Avril, or April Fish. Thus, April Fool's Day was born.

Just fooling around.
Alien invasion
Picture this - a UFO circling the skies over London watched by thousands of astonished citizens. The police arrive at the scene expecting an alien invasion and witness a silver suited person emerging from the craft!
How would you feel if you saw the UFO over your city?

Whistling carrots
Fancy something different for dinner? Have you ever tasted the genetically modified whistling carrot? Specially engineered to grow with air-holes in their side, the carrots begin to whistle when they are fully cooked.
Would you believe this story if you heard it on the news?

Did you know that British scientists can control the weather?
The invention of a weather machine will enable the UK to have long hot summer days and ensure that rain only falls at night. Better still, snow at Christmas time will always be guaranteed!
Would you like the weather to be controlled?

Big Ben Goes Digital
In 1980 the BBC reported that Big Ben, in order to keep up with the times, was going to be given a digital readout. It received a huge response from listeners protesting the change. The BBC Japanese service also announced that the clock hands would be sold to the first four listeners to contact them, and one Japanese seaman in the mid-Atlantic immediately radioed in a bid.

April Fool’s Day: Do you love it or hate it?
Malisa “I love April Fool’s Day. It can be really good fun. I love playing tricks on people and I don’t mind if people play tricks on me. It’s one day of the year you can be really silly and have a laugh and it’s okay. You have to be quite sensible for the other 364 days of the year, so I look forward to April 1st.“
Johnny “I don’t like April Fool’s Day. It makes me a bit nervous. I keep thinking someone is about to play a trick on me. When twelve o’clock passes I feel quite relieved that it’s finished for another year!”
Phil “When I was at school April Fool’s Day was always good fun. We played tricks on each other and sometimes on the teacher. In fact, one year one of the boys at school put a bucket of water on top of the door and when the chemistry teacher came in he got very wet! It was funny, but the boy got in big trouble!”

Louise “April Fool’s Day is a great idea. It’s easy to forget the actual date and I always believe everything I read in the newspapers or watch on the TV news. I usually believe the big national hoaxes and it always makes me laugh afterwards. It’s good to remind us that maybe we shouldn’t always belive everything we hear in the news.”
Clare “April Fool’s Day is fun when you’re young. I rember putting a plastic fried egg on my Dad’s plate for breakfast as a trick. He decided to cut it up and pretend to eat it! Now I think some of the tricks are a bit silly and people can be a bit cruel playing tricks on their ‘friends’!”
Mark “I hate April Fool’s Day. Last year people at work changed the sugar for salt so we all put salt in our coffee! Then some joker in the office decided he wanted a day off and he did something to the computers so they wouldn’t work. It just wasn’t funny! I had lots to do and we all had to stop working and solve the problem.”

1.What would you say if you were asked the same question?
2.Who do you think loves April Fool’s Day most?
3.Who do you think hates April Fool’s Day most?
4.Do you think any of the tricks the people mentioned are funny?

April Fool’s Day:
Do you love it or hate it?

Make up your own April Fool’s trick.
My April Fool’s Trick.
I think it would fool people because…