What is Poisson d'Avril?

French children follow April Fools’ Day traditions. On April 1st, children use paper fish to play April Fools' tricks. This involves sticking a paper fish onto the back of as many adults as possible and then running away yelling “Poisson d’Avril !” (April Fish!). Yes, you better check your back if you happen to be in France on that day! - Ms. Johnson

It is the ideal day for children (and grown-ups alike!) to tell funny jokes to those around them, including family members, friends, teachers, neighbours, colleagues at work, etc.

That tradition dates back to 1564. A long long time ago the New Year started on the 1st of April but this ended in the mid-16th century. In an edict given in Paris in January 1563, king Charles IX (1550–1574) made a swift change to the French calendar. The King of France wanted the year to start on the 1st of January. The royal edict was promulgated at Roussillon on the 9th August 1564 and is known as the Edict of Roussillon. Legend has it that some people were not at all happy with this enforced law for many reasons. You know, people don’t like changes! And this was a BIG change – imagine if we had to move Christmas to the 25th July!

And so, people continued to celebrate the New Year in their own way around the 1st of April. Those who embraced the new calendar started to mock the reluctant ones and gave them false presents and played tricks on them! 

During that time, the 1st of April coincided with the end of Lent. This is a period of time when the Catholic Church forbade Christians to eat meat. Fish was tolerated and was often used in the offering of gifts for the New Year. When the jokes started to become more common, people often used false fish to trick their victims. There lies the legendary origin of April Fish, stuck on the back of the fools. The fools who did not accept the changing times. Or the fools who saw the world through their own eyes only!