Five Things to Start Your Day: April Fools' Day Edition

1. HOW IT ORIGINATED: The origins of April Fools' Day are shrouded in mystery, experts say. The most popular theory is France changed its calendar in the 1500s so the New Year would begin in January to match the Roman calendar instead of beginning at the start of spring, in late March or early April. However word of the change traveled slowly, and many people in rural areas continued to celebrate the New Year in the spring. These country dwellers became known as "April fools," the story goes.

2. NOT SAFE AT WORK: According to this CareerBuilder.com survey, 32 percent of workers say they have either initiated or been on the receiving end of an April Fools' Day prank at work.

3. POPULAR HOAXES: April Fools' Day goes beyond just switching out the sugar bowl with salt. Check out this list of the Top 100 April Fools' Day Hoaxes. They include the Swiss Spaghetti Harvest, the baseball pitching phenom Sidd Finch and the Left-Handed Whopper. Also, see more ideas in our April Fool's prank post. 

4. SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON: In France. Kids fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their backs. When the victim discovers the fish, the prankster yells "Poisson d'Avril!" (April Fish!)

5. WHY JUST ONE DAY?: The Scottish love April Fools' Day. In fact they love it so much, they celebrate it for two days. In Scotland they call it "hunting the gowk" (the cuckoo), and if you are tricked, you are an "April gowk." To really get "behind" the holiday, the second day, called "Taily Day," is devoted to pranks involving the back side of the body. The "butt" of these jokes may often have a "kick me" sign placed on their back.