April Fools' Day also called All Fools' Day, on April 1st, it's a day dedicated to playful pranks, hoaxes, and good-natured trickery. But have you ever stopped to wonder where this tradition came from and what it all means?
Origins Lost to Time
Actually, on this not only the exact beginning of the festival but as well the actual nature of the holiday remains the question in the air. Historians have posited differing viewpoints, but none of them is absolutely right.
Others think that it might have to do with France changing the date of New Year from the 1st of January to January 1 during the 16th century. Besides, others mention that a link to an old Roman holiday is a reasonable scenario like Hilaria, a period of cheer and good cheer.
A day full of laughter and relaxation
However, what interests me the most is that this special day was not created recently, as it is now observed all over the world. As we step outside, these snowballs become a symbol of the day, sparking curiosity and joy in our hearts as we embrace the chance to bond with those around us. Laughter often consists of every form, the most simple and most common ones from "whoopee cushion" to more complex plans.
Harmless Office April Fools' Day Pranks
Here are some ideas for harmless April Fools pranks to try:
The Desktop Desert: During the absence of your coworker, you can put the Post-it notes all over the desk and turn this area into a mini-desert. You can add a small 3D cactus made of green pipe cleaners to your decoration.
The Inverted World: Turn every item on their desk topsy-turvy – it has to be well-balanced: pen holder, stapler, lampshade.
The Confetti Catastrophe: Lay a confetti popper underneath their seats. Once they fell down, POW!! (Easy clean up is a chore with a vacuum).
The Fake Meeting: (If your Calendar allows) Schedule a fake meeting with a stupid name on their calendar. When they arrive, tell them that it was actually a prank and everyone has been in on the fun all along.
The Background Switcheroo: Changing their video call background to a funny one a few minutes before a meeting (say, a beach scene image).
The Misspelled Name: Just change their display name on a video call to something random or funny for a while.
The Fake Notification: Hide a fake system notification on their screen with something hilarious but unrealistic (it can be easily downloaded online). For instance, you can show them a message entitled "Low on laughter, please refill."
The Confused Cursor: If they are sharing a document, switch the cursor settings to something bizarre for a few minutes (enlarging it, shrinking it, or flipping it).
The Emoji Overload: Load their chatbox with a huge quantity of funny emojis and then write "April Fools!".
The Sticky Surprise: As a last prank, opt for a keyboard. Put small pieces of transparent tape under some keys. Not going to the point of completely disabling it, but just doing things to malfunction it at first.
Remember these golden rules:
Know your audience: Only prank someone who would appreciate a good laugh.
Keep it harmless: Avoid pranks that could damage property or cause any real inconvenience.
Be prepared to fess up: Reveal it's a prank quickly and have fun with the laughter!
A key message here is that Fools' jokes are not duplicated unless and until the reveal of the joke comes later on. Please do not forget to scream "April Fools!" therefore everybody will be aware of it.
Since then, Happy April Fools' Day has come in a year. It is the time to let creativity out by giving one permission to become a goof. So, basically, there is no better formula for a fantastic April Fools prank than enjoying and not dealing with disappointment. Happy Fooling!
