Poisson d'avril! April Fools Day

So it's the 1st of April and most people recognise this as April Fools Day or All Fools Day.  In France those who are fooled are called poisson d'avril (the April fish).

Children (and adults!) attach paper fishes on each other's back and shout poisson d'avril when they are discovered!

Even the family pet isn't immune!

Some think that people playing tricks or hoaxes on this day actually started in France and goes back to the sixteenth century.

One of the most lauded theories is that in 1564 King Charles XIV of France decided to reform the calendar by moving the start of the year from the end of March to the 1st of January.  As this decision took a while to make it's way to rural France the poor and lower classes were the last to hear about the new calendar and therefore the last to accept it.

The New Year was then celebrated on the 1st of January rather than the 1st of April - those who were slow to accept this had jokes played on them for their supposed stupidity when celebrating on the 1st of April - the fools of April!

The significance of the fish is widely argued!  There are many stories and theories but it doesn't worry the children as they cut out their fish shapes to stick on their unsuspecting victim's backs just as generations have done before them!!

You will also see the boulangeries bulging with fish shaped pastries and chocolates made by the chocolatiers in honour of today.

    An old French postcard celebrating 1st April