April fool's day
English translation: Julian -> Gregorian Calendar Change
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| 11:27 Mar 24, 2003 |
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|  Selected response from: tongue tied Local time: 06:31 | ||||||
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| 4 +4 | April Fool's Day |
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| 5 | poisson d'avril |
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| 4 | French maquereau |
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| 3 +1 | Julian -> Gregorian Calendar Change |
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Answers
2 mins confidence: 
peer agreement (net): +4
peer agreement (net): +4April Fool's Day Explanation: origins April Fools' Day also called ALL FOOLS' Day, first day of April, named from the custom of playing practical jokes or sending friends on fools' errands on that date. Although it has been observed for centuries in several countries, the origin of the custom is unknown. It resembles other festivals, such as the Hilaria of ancient Rome (March 25) and the Holi festival of India (ending March 31). Its timing seems related to the vernal equinox (March 21), when nature "fools" mankind with sudden changes in the weather. On April Fools' Day all people are given an excuse to play the fool. In France the fooled person is called poisson d'avril ("April fish"), but the origin of the name is unknown. In April the cuckoo, emblem of simpletons, comes, so in Scotland the victim is called gowk (cuckoo). The custom of playing April Fools' jokes was taken to America by the British. It has continued to be observed by children and adults and sometimes involves rather elaborate hoaxes as well as merely simple jokes. "April Fools' Day" Encyclopædia Britannica Online <http://www.eb.com:180/bol/topic?eu=8205> hth |
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