Informative Speech April Fools Day Essay - 806 Words

Rebecca Patenaude Professor Iverson Speech 28 January 2013 The History of April Fools Day I. Most of us know April 1st as a lighthearted day where it is acceptable to play silly jokes and try to fool your friends, but few know what April Fools Day is really about and why such an usual holiday is celebrated around the world. A. The exact origin is still a mystery, but the earliest known explanation took place in France over 400 years ago. 1. It is also unknown how this holiday spread to other countries. 2. It is interesting to see how different cultures celebrate it. B. Today I’m going to share with you the background of this crazy holiday, explain the cultural differences in the way the day is†¦show more content†¦D. Scotland calls it â€Å"Taily Day† 5. Refer to their jokes as â€Å"april gowk† which is another name for the cuckoo bird. 6. The original â€Å"kick me† sign came from the Scottish (April Fools 150). E. In England, pranks only played in the morning 7. Its bad luck to play a joke on anyone after noon. 8. If a trick is played on you, you are called a â€Å"noodle† rather than a fool (April Fools 150). F. In Rome, it is referred to as the Festival of Hilaria, also known as Roman Laughing Day and falls on March 25th (April Fools 150). G. In Portugal, it falls on the Sunday and Monday before lent and the traditional trick is to throw flour at your friends (April Fools 150). IV. There is a rich history of great pranks across the world. H. One of the greatest world known pranks in history happened in 1957 when a British news program, BBC news, featured respected newscaster Richard Dimbleby giving a report about a spaghetti harvest in Switzerland 9. He stated that the mild winter resulted in an exceptionally heavy spaghetti crop. 10. Many viewers were so intrigued by the footage of farmers reaping noodles from trees, viewers called the station to ask where they could find their own spaghetti trees. 11. BBC news replied, â€Å"place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best† (April Fools 151). I. In 1996 the Taco Bell Corporation announced that it hadShow MoreRelated Myth of Propaganda in the Balkans and Rwanda Essay6707 Words   |  27 PagesSerbs— analogous to Jerusalem for the Jews— only to be usurped by the Ottoman Empire, Milosevic set his sights on Kosovo to advance his nationalist agenda, famously declaring to the 10% minority Kosovo Serbs, â€Å"no one will ever beat you again!† His speech in 1989 on the 600 year anniversary of the battle at Kosovo Polje, or â€Å"the Field of Blackbirds,† was the cornerstone to the myth he helped build about the Serbs claim to Kosovo. The myth refers to an elected Serbian prince, Prince Lazar, who was givenRead MorePeculiarities of Euphemisms in English and Difficulties in Their Translation19488 Words   |  78 Pages sex, death, money, war, crime or religion. These topics seem to be cross cultural. 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