Every April 1, millions of people across the world spend the morning second-guessing everything they hear — that's April Fools' Day. Whether you're planning a prank of your own or just trying to avoid being the one fooled, a reminder beats finding out the hard way. Click on the green Configure button and choose how far in advance you want to be alerted.
Why use a reminder for April Fools' Day?
- Get your prank ready in time: The best April Fools' jokes take some setup. A reminder a few days ahead gives you time to actually plan something good instead of scrambling that morning.
- Catch it early in the day: Pranks work best before people remember what day it is — an alert right at the start of April 1 helps you strike while everyone's still off guard.
- Avoid being the fool yourself: If you tend to forget the date entirely, a same-day or day-before reminder means you'll at least be skeptical of anything suspicious you read or hear.
- Coordinate with others: Set a reminder a week or two out if you're planning a group prank at work or with friends — there's enough lead time to get everyone in on it.
Where does April Fools' Day actually come from?
Surprisingly, nobody really knows. Despite centuries of speculation, historians haven't pinned down a definitive origin. The most widely repeated theory traces back to 16th-century France: when the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar and the new year shifted from around March 25 to January 1, those who kept celebrating the "old" new year through April 1 were mocked as fools. The earliest possible textual hint is even older — some scholars point to Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" (circa 1392), though others believe that reference is a copying error rather than a real mention of April 1.
Other theories tie the day to the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria, a springtime celebration involving disguises and mockery, or simply to the unpredictable, "fooling" weather around the spring equinox. None of these are confirmed — which, fittingly, makes the origin of a day built on uncertainty itself uncertain.
Traditions vary around the world
In France, Italy, and Belgium, the day is known as "April Fish" (poisson d'avril), where the classic prank is sticking a paper fish on someone's back without them noticing. In Scotland, it traditionally stretched into a two-day event — "Hunt the Gowk" followed by "Tailie Day," where fake tails or "kick me" signs got pinned to people's backs. Iran has its own version, Sizdah be dar, celebrated around the same time of year with pranks and outdoor picnics.
Some famous pranks before you go
Mass media has leaned into the day for decades. In 1957, the BBC ran a segment claiming Swiss farmers were harvesting spaghetti from trees. In 1996, Taco Bell announced it had "bought" the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell. And nearly every year, Google adds its own elaborate April Fools' feature to search or Maps.
So whether you're the prankster or the target this year, click that green Configure button and make sure April 1 doesn't catch you off guard.