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Fools rush in…
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Practical jokes played on April Fool’s day may be taken in the right spirit or may lead to disasters
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Photo: K.K. Mustafah
Playing pranks April 1
April Fool’s Day or All Fool’s Day occurs annually on April 1. The day is generally observed by playing a practical joke on a gullible “victim” who soon becomes the “April Fool”. There is much debate surrounding th
e origin of the custom.
However, most believe that the tradition started in France during the 16th century. Supposedly, April Fool’s Day involved changes in the calendar. While the custom has survived the centuries, the kind of pranks played has changed considerably.
From sending the unsuspecting on pointless errands to pinning “monkey” on a friend’s back, April Fool’s Day is one that is packed with humour the world over.
“The whole idea is to have the right spirit and to be sportive,” says Kousthub Raj, a businessman. He narrates how he once received a phone call that made him think he had hit the jackpot.
Apparently the caller told him that he had won a one-crore contract with a company he hadn’t heard of. He was even given the address of the company. Before setting out to meet his “partners”, he bought himself a new suit and even booked one of those classy cars, only to realise that the company was non-existent and at the given address, his friends had congregated to shout out “April Fool!”
Many people, however, think that All Fool’s Day is quite a juvenile custom and that it loses its charm among adults.
Gopal Krishnaswami, an engineering student, recalls a time in school when they had poured drops of water on the teacher’s chair before she sat down.
The end result was obvious.
They were all marched down to the principal’s office for a caning! He doesn’t think one can play such pranks and have this kind of fun when one grows into an adult.
While most people associate April Fools Day with light heartedness and fun, often, these little white lies or those meant-to-be-funny practical jokes have resulted in unforeseen disasters.
Nithya Prabhakar, a lecturer, recalls having read that due to a ‘report’ by a news channel announcing the “assassination of Microsoft founder, Bill Gates”, there was quite a drastic drop in the Korean stock market! April Fools Day has also resulted in the worst of tragedies.
Kalpana Dimasha says: “It was on April Fool’s Day three years ago when my brother received a call from his girlfriend. She told him that she had consumed sleeping pills because her folks were against their relationship. Assuming he was the reason for her being harassed, my brother consumed poison and died in a few hours.”
NEETI SARKAR
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