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MAIN Up ahead, check out ideas for April Fools pranks plus related fun facts and the history behind the Super Bowl of tomfoolery, April Fools Day:
Modern April Fools Day got its start during the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia when society was turned upside down as slaves and their masters switched roles for the day. By the Middle Ages, the ancient Roman taste for a good time was celebrated every spring when a "Lord of Misrule" or "King of Fools" was elected in towns and cities across Europe to celebrate.
Today, the tradition is as popular as ever -- with gag gifts, dorm pranks, practical jokes and hoaxes unexpectedly sprung on office workers, college roommates, friends and family.. Online, even organizations like the BBC and Google having gotten into the act. Today, thousands of imitators launch Internet hoaxes on April 1 that -- as planned -- transform into public relations triumphs and major news stories.
The college dorm room prank - Use duct tape to secure a roommate's furniture to the ceiling. Natural popcorn or plastic "peanuts" are also popular for filling up sinks and shower stalls. For highly amusing sound effects, carefully place bubble wrap underneath the toilet seat. The office prank - Careful here, and be sure your boss or coworkers can withstand a good April Fools joke. That said, begin by filling up the bathroom soap dispenser with craft glue. In the break room, replace the cream in the cream-filled donuts with mayonnaise. Take over your co-worker's computer while their away from their desk to write a silly e-mail in their name. Remember to cc everyone in the company. Sign it, "Yours truly, Crazy Pants." Hit send. Internet hoaxes - Use your Facebook or Twitter account to announce a new product. For best results, make sure your hoax sounds fairly credible - like the time Rosetta Stone famously offered a course in Klingon, or when American Eagle Outfitters introduced the American Beagle line of clothing for dogs. On the Web, discover more about the day and its origins, (along with more modern practical applications) with our look at April Fools Day...
The Fools Day - Check out great ideas for hoaxes, pranks and jokes in the office or for the entire family! Plus related trivia, history, quotes, funny party ideas and April Fools Day recipes. The Pranksters Guide to Practical Jokes - Classic college dorm pranks with descriptions, including information on equipment required, proper execution, and related advice. Scroll down for "The Wet Towel," and "Powdery Stuff Under the Room Door" instructions. TheFreeSite.com: April Fools' Day Freebies - Freeware programs for installing on unsuspecting victims' office workers to various effects - fake system crashes, or making it appear their hard drive is being cleaned & reformatted - and , the Fart Machine. Plus other heartlessly cruel and funny jokes with related links to April Fools clipart and e-cards. Care2
Animated April Fools Day Cards
- One of our favorite animated e-card sites and their April
Fools page is the cat's meow - in fact, also check out the
crawling ants and flying pigs. The singing
elephant takes the cake ... |
Centuries later, April Fools Day was still going strong. In the 1800s, a notable and fairly hilarious look at popular pranks was published under the title of 
April Fools Day pranks at home - Add a drop or two of blue dye to the milk container. Then, return the milk to the fridge and wait for exclamations of disgust from family members. In the living room, place a piece of clear tape over the sensor on the remote and watch family members try to change the TV channel.
