Lesson
April Fools
by Kelly Hashway
If you’ve ever been pranked on April Fools’ Day, you may
wonder how this tradition started. Well, you’re not alone. No one
knows for sure how April Fools’ Day began. But the most likely
explanation has to do with the calendar.
No, that’s not an April Fools’ Day joke. People used to celebrate New Years Day on April 1
st
. Just
like today, people would have big parties to celebrate. Over time, the calendar changed and so did
the date for New Years. In the 1500s, the new calendar marked New Years Day as January 1st. But
because there was no Internet or other means to spread the word, the news traveled slowly by word of
mouth. It took a while for everyone to hear about the change, and even then some people resisted it.
They continued to celebrate New Years on April 1st. These people were given the nickname “April
fools”.
People following the new calendar played tricks on the “April
fools” by sending them on “fool’s errands”. They had the “April
fools” deliver invitations to big New Year’s celebrations that
weren’t really going to happen. In France, “April fools” were
called “Poisson d'Avril”, which is French for “April Fish”. This began
because people thought fish were easy to catch since they could
be fooled into taking the bait on a hook. Children would tag a
paper fish on a person’s back to mark them as an “April Fish”.
When the person discovered the fish, the prankster would yell
“Poisson d'Avril”.
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.comNot everyone is convinced that this is actually how the
tradition of April Fools’ Day began. People have tried to
pinpoint the exact date of the first April Fool’s Day, but this
only led to more pranks. A professor from Boston University
pranked a reporter by making up a story about a court
jester who said he could run the empire better than the
king. The jester was made king for a day on April 1st. This
turned out to be a big April Fools’ Day trick because the
reporter thought the story was real.
Even though we aren’t sure how this tradition
began, people still celebrate April Fools’ Day by playing
tricks on each other. So the next time you prank
someone and yell “April Fools!” remember that the day
may actually be about the people who didn’t want to
change their traditions when the new calendar was
adopted. Or maybe it’s just a day to celebrate the joker
in all of us.
About the the Author
Kelly Hashway
Kelly Hashway's latest book, May the Best Dog Win, is now available!
Dash has the perfect life until the Super Sweeper 5000 shows up. Sweeper runs all
over the house sucking up the leftover food scraps, and he even gets his own
room! But Dash won't give up his place as the favorite dog without a fight.
Hashway, Kelly. May the Best Dog Win. ISBN: 9780984589081
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.comName: ______________________________
April Fools
by Kelly Hashway
1. In the 1500s, which people were given the nickname “April fools”?
a. people who celebrated New Years Day on January 1st
b. people who didn't know when April started
c. people who were not smart
d. people who refused to recognize New Years Day as January 1st
2. In France, what did children do on April 1st?
a. wore paper fish on their backs
b. placed paper fish on other people's backs
c. went fishing
d. bought a new calendar
3. The article states that people played tricks on others by sending them on “fool's errands.”
What is the definition of an errand? (Look the word up in a dictionary if you're not sure.)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the author's purpose for writing this article?
a. to teach readers about the history of April Fools' Day
b. to remind readers that April Fools' Day is coming up
c. to persuade readers into celebrating April Fools' Day safely
d. to teach readers how April Fools' Day is celebrated in America
Now try this: The fourth paragraph of the article describes a college professor who tell a madeup story to a reporter as an April Fools joke. On a separate sheet of paper, retell
the professor's story in your own words. Add an illustration to your story.
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.comName: ______________________________
April Fools
by Kelly Hashway
Match each vocabulary word from the article “April Fools”
on the left to its definition on the right.
________ 1. jester a. person who teaches at a college
or university
________ 2. discovered b. area ruled by a king or queen
________ 3. professor c. person who is paid to tell jokes
and provide entertainment
________ 4. reporter d. found
________ 5. empire e. to narrow information down to a
specific place or moment in time
________ 6. pinpoint f. desire to know something
________ 7. calendar g. refused to change
________ 8. resisted h. table for keeping track of days
and dates
________ 9. wonder i. person who looks for news and
writes articles for a newspaper
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.comANSWER KEY
April Fools
by Kelly Hashway
1. In the 1500s, which people were given the nickname “April fools”? d
a. people who celebrated New Years Day on January 1st
b. people who didn't know when April started
c. people who were not smart
d. people who refused to recognize New Years Day as January 1st
2. In France, what did children do on April 1st? b
a. wore paper fish on their backs
b. placed paper fish on other people's backs
c. went fishing
d. bought a new calendar
3. The article states that people played tricks on others by sending them on “fool's errands.”
What is the definition of an errand? (Look the word up in a dictionary if you're not sure.)
An errand is a short trip taken to get something done.
4. What is the author's purpose for writing this article?
a. to teach readers about the history of April Fools' Day
b. to remind readers that April Fools' Day is coming up
c. to persuade readers into celebrating April Fools' Day safely
d. to teach readers how April Fools' Day is celebrated in America
Now try this: The fourth paragraph of the article describes a college professor who tell a madeup story to a reporter as an April Fools joke. On a separate sheet of paper, retell
the professor's story in your own words. Add an illustration to your story.
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.comANSWER KEY
April Fools
by Kelly Hashway
Match each vocabulary word from the article “April Fools”
on the left to its definition on the right.
c 1. jester a. person who teaches at a college
or university
d 2. discovered b. area ruled by a king or queen
a 3. professor c. person who is paid to tell jokes
and provide entertainment
i 4. reporter d. found
b 5. empire e. to narrow information down to a
specific place or moment in time
e 6. pinpoint f. desire to know something
h 7. calendar g. refused to change
g 8. resisted h. table for keeping track of days
and dates
f 9. wonder i. person who looks for news and
writes articles for
