Poisson d'avril - the paper-fish custom

1561

The French name for April Fools' Day is 'poisson d'avril' (April fish), and the signature prank is pinning a paper fish to an unsuspecting person's back, then shouting 'Poisson d'avril!' when it is discovered. A recurring annual custom, still practised by French schoolchildren. The earliest unambiguous European attestation of 1 April pranking is de Dene's 1561 poem; the fish motif's own origin is obscure and not securely datable.