"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year." (American writer Mark Twain)

Happy April Fool's Day

Free Orkut and My Space April Fool Graphics Glitters

Has anyone told you they saw you on TV, or told you they're pregnant with triplets, only to turn around and shout "April Fools" when you looked surprised?

My husband pulled the first practical joke on a co-worker today. My niece shocked her husband with the second one.

He even believed her until he saw the huge smile on her face.

Today is April 1st, April Fool's Day, or All Fool's Day as some people call it.

Although April Fool's Day is celebrated in many countries, it is not a national holiday. It IS, however, a well known day when people play practical jokes and tricks on each other.

For hundreds of years, April Fool's Day has focused on individuals trying to trick each other. When I was a child, my parents once shouted "Fire" at 5 A.M in the morning.

After all six children had jumped out of bed, raced down the stairs and opened the front door to escape, they finally shouted "April Fool's." We certainly had been fooled.

For the past few years, the increasing popularity of the media, particularly the Internet, has led to even larger hoaxes and jokes. Everyone - even large companies - wants to participate in the fun.

Today, the BBC was the first big organization to play a practical joke on the world when it announced on line that the world had ended and that we were all dead.

If you were able to read it, you obviously knew that it was a joke. But, isn't it nice to know that even broadcasters who constantly tell us how terrible things are in the world, have a sense of humour and can take a few minutes to make us laugh.