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Will You Be Fooled?

If you love pranks, then April Fools’ Day is for you. People around the world celebrate it on April 1 each year. 

No one knows exactly how the hilarious holiday started. One myth is that it began at a time when many people in Europe celebrated the new year at the start of spring, in late March and early April. The story goes that in the 1500s, the king of France declared that the new year would officially start on January 1. But some people continued celebrating the new year in the spring. According to legend, these people were sent “foolish” gifts as a joke.

Over time, April 1 became a day for playing pranks, big and small. One of the most famous April Fools’ hoaxes took place in 1957. The BBC, a British news organization, aired a TV report about trees in Switzerland that grew spaghetti. Hundreds of viewers called in to ask how they could grow a spaghetti tree. 

On April 1, 2008, the BBC was at it again. It showed a fake video of what it claimed were the world’s first flying penguins.

Today popular brands are some of the biggest April Fools’ tricksters. Last year, Sour Patch Kids announced “it’s time to grow up” and said it was changing its name to Sour Patch Adults. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven claimed it would start selling hot dog-flavored sparkling water in its stores across the U.S. The company was surprised when many people said they wanted to try it! 

So on April 1, watch out for outrageous stories. You might just fall for an April Fools’ Day joke.

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