April Fools’ Day In Canada
– B2-C1 (intermediate to advanced) –
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April 1st is an unofficial holiday in Canada called April Fools’ Day (or Le Poisson d’avril in Quebec). It is a silly day that is devoted to pulling pranks. In Anglo-Canada, this day is largely celebrated by children, teenagers, young adults, families, some playful colleagues, and even the media–so you’re gonna have to take everything you read this day with a grain of salt. Typically, an innocent joke will be pulled on someone, like putting Vaseline on a doorknob to make it difficult to open, or by placing plastic wrap across a door frame to make it difficult to walk through. Whoever falls for these pranks is known as the “fool,” but if you pull a prank after 12:00 PM on this day, then you are considered the “fool,” instead. So, watch the clock!
Historically, this holiday is believed to date back to 16th century France, when Pope Gregory XIII issued a new calendar–the Gregorian Calendar–which started on January 1st instead of on the spring equinox in late March or early April. Those who missed the news of this change were considered “April Fools” by society and, as a result, received much teasing and sometimes even ridicule.
Nowadays in Anglo-Canada, however, this teasing is not generally serious but rather usually lighthearted, as it relates to the silly pranks that people pull on their loved ones.
Is April Fools’ Day celebrated where you live? Have you every participated in it as a prankster or prankee? What happened? Practice your English by letting me know in the comments below.
