Poisson d'avril!

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Alongside Easter French children follow April Fools’ Day traditions in the spring. On 1st April, people use paper fish to play an April Fools trick. This involves sticking a paper fish onto the back of as many adults as possible. And then running away yelling “Poisson d’Avril !” (April Fish!). Yes, you had better check your back if you happen to be in France on that day! It is the ideal day for children (and grown-ups alike!) to tell funny jokes to those around them, including family members, friends, teachers, neighbours, colleagues at work, etc.

The origin of the April Fish in France is relatively obscure..


A new date has come!

A long, long time ago, the new year started on the 1st of April. This date ended in the mid-16th century. In his proclamation of Paris in January 1563, King Charles IX (1550–1574) made a swift change to the French calendar.The King of France wanted the year to start on the 1st of January and the change of date applied from the 1st of January 1567.


Legend has it!


Legend has it that some people were not happy with this enforced law. This is for many reasons. People do not like change, and this was a BIG change – imagine if we had to move Christmas to the 25th of July!

As such, people continued to celebrate the New Year around the 1st of April.

Those who embraced the new calendar started to mock the reluctant ones andd gave them false presents and played tricks on them!


 picture suppoled by Kwizig French

 

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