April 1 is the Day of Laughter: the history and traditions of the most fun holiday

April 1st is celebrated annually in Russia and many other countries of the world as Laughter Day, an unofficial holiday of jokes, practical jokes and humor. In 2026, it falls on a Wednesday. Read about how this celebration appeared, and what April Fools' traditions exist in our country and abroad in the Izvestia article.

Laughter Day – 2026: the history of the holiday

Laughter Day has long been an international holiday, but its exact origin is unknown. None of the versions is considered definitively proven, so historians usually talk about several possible lines of its development.

The oldest of the popular versions refers to antiquity and the celebration of the ancient Roman Hilaria, a holiday of fun in the cult of Cybele and Attis, which was celebrated on March 25. It was accompanied by processions, changing clothes and a general upbeat atmosphere, which is why it is considered one of the possible cultural precursors of the Day of Laughter.

The following version is associated with Europe and Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Story of the Monastery Chaplain", written around 1390. The text mentions an event that occurred "32 days after the beginning of March." Hence the legend that the connection of April 1st with deception existed already in the Middle Ages. However, the researchers admit that it may be a late mistake of the scribe and the date itself was misunderstood. That's why Chaucer is usually referred to as a curious but unreliable early reference.

The first more distinct trace of the future Day of Laughter dates back to the beginning of the XVI century. In 1508, the French poet Eloy d'Amerval used the expression "April fish." Later, this is what people in France began to call a person who believed in a festive joke.

It's jokingly said: comedy games for a fun evening

Hits and curious indies with brilliant humor

Another piece of evidence is a poem by the Flemish author Edouard de Dene, published in 1561. In it, on April 1, a servant is sent on deliberately ridiculous errands, and he realizes that he is just being played. This text is most often referred to as the first written mention of the April Fool's prank.

The most famous version of the origin of the holiday dates back to 1564, when the French King Charles IX signed the Edict of Roussillon, which fixed January 1 as the beginning of the year. Before that, New Year's celebrations in different parts of France fell on different dates, including the end of March and the beginning of April.

According to a common version, after the reform, some people continued to celebrate the New Year in the spring out of habit, and it was they who began to make fun of them, calling them "April fools." However, this hypothesis also has internal contradictions, at least because de Dene's poem appeared before the edict itself.

The April Fools' custom came to Russia much later, in the Petrine era. It is believed that the holiday was brought to us by foreigners with whom Peter the Great communicated in the German settlement, adopting from them many of the everyday and cultural habits of the West. Already in the 18th century, April 1 began to be perceived as a day of permissible jokes, and later became firmly established in urban and literary life.

Traditions of the celebration of the Day of Laughter

The main tradition of April 1 has hardly changed over the centuries: on this day it is customary to prank acquaintances, colleagues, friends and relatives, but to do it without anger and humiliation. The point of the holiday is not to put a person in an awkward position, but to defuse the atmosphere for a short time, to reduce the degree of seriousness.

The Day of Laughter has experienced a change of epochs and is easily integrated into digital culture. Today, it involves not only families and groups of friends, but also brands, editorial offices, streaming services, game studios, and social networks.

Different countries have their own specifics of celebration. For example, in France, the tradition of the "April fish" is still preserved. Such a paper figurine can be imperceptibly attached to the back of a friend.

Six-seven times measure: memes kill proverbs and sayings

Linguists create an applied dictionary to preserve folk wisdom — it will explain situations of using stable expressions.

In the UK, it is customary to joke only until noon. It is considered that the prank is no longer appropriate after lunch. In Russia, the most recognizable April Fool's joke was the short phrase "Your back is white." And on the Internet, fake announcements, humorous updates, and fictional news have taken its place.

The most famous draws for April 1st

Over the decades, April Fool's Day has spawned a whole collection of April Fools hoaxes, Izvestia has collected several interesting examples that have earned legendary status and gone far beyond the borders of one country.

• "Spaghetti Harvest" from the BBC. In 1957, a British television station showed a story about how spaghetti was allegedly harvested from trees in Switzerland. After the broadcast, viewers called the editorial office and asked where to buy seedlings and how to grow their own "pasta tree." This prank is still considered one of the most famous media jokes of the 20th century.
• Nylon stocking for color TV. In 1962, Swedish television explained to viewers that it was possible to turn a black-and-white image into a color one in just a minute. It is enough to pull a thin nylon stocking over the screen. The advice, of course, did not work, but many people believed in it.
• Maradona goes to Spartak. In 1988, the Soviet newspaper Izvestia reported that the legendary Argentine football player was negotiating a transfer to a Moscow club, and the deal could amount to $6 million. The next day, it turned out that it was an April Fool's joke, but the news was picked up by foreign media.
• A burger for lefties. In 1998, a well-known American fast food chain advertised a special "left-handed" whopper in which the same ingredients were allegedly rotated 180 degrees for the convenience of customers. The joke turned out to be so convincing that the customers actually started asking for the "right" version of the burger.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the history and traditions of the Krasnaya Gorka holiday.