April Fools Day Background

Today is April Fools' Day.  Americans typically celebrate by playing practical jokes on friends and strangers alike.  Pranksters in other countries celebrate April Fools' Day differently.  Sometimes the news media gets involved.  For instance, the BBC once ran a detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" in Switzerland.  Viewers were fooled into thinking they could harvest spaghetti from trees.  In Scotland, it is actually celebrated for two days.  The second day is called Taily Day and is devoted to pranks involving a people's rear ends.  The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.  Meanwhile, Mexico doesn't celebrate April Fools' Day at all.  Instead, Mexicans save up their best pranks for a full day of good-humored trickery on December 28th