In a show I’m watching, which takes place in the UK, two characters plan April Fool’s Day shenanigans. One reminds the other, “until mid-day, anything goes.”
I’m not aware of any time limit on April Fool’s Day shenanigans here in the States. Is this a thing in Old Blighty?
For example, traditionally on April Fool’s Day all pranks are supposed to stop at 12 noon sharp, with anyone playing a joke after midday then considered the ‘April Fool’.
Ya learn something new every day.
That was in Ghosts, right? That bit confounded me too.
Yes, Ghosts!
I recall hearing of the deadline from my grandparents. This was in the US.
This was “common knowledge” where I grew up in the U.S., both at home and at school (so it wasn’t just a weird thing in our family.)
I was a kid in Germany in the eighties. I also remember a rule that April’s Fools pranks had to take place before noon.
I never heard this rule growing up (1960 -70s, California SF Bay Area).
Same here in Canada: April Fools’ pranks were to end at noon.
Apparently, nobody told my mother, who would play pranks on her co-workers all day long.
TBF, I suspect most British people aren’t aware of this rule.
Ditto in Oz
Yes, i remember hearing this.
I’m British (Scottish) and it was the rule when I was a kid, and AFAIK now.
At the time, I pegged it as joyless adults choking off kids’ one day of fun and frolic, cruelly guillotining what could be a day of delight and frivolity in order to maintain their positions of authority as the makers and arbiters of rules.
Nowadays, bracing myself for kids’ (and adults’) witless, aggravating and occasionally dangerous attempts at practical jokes which are about as funny as stepping in dog shit. I realise that I was completely right.
As an Australian schoolkid in the 60s I remember that was some sort of principle, because once I tried to plot revenge on a fooler and was told that if I left it until lunchtime I’d pass the time limit and be in trouble. I thought that was just a school rule so kids wouldn’t spend the entire day tormenting each other.
The time limit is a thing here in South Africa, but not everyone know it, especially younger people.
It traditionally ends at midday in Zimbabwe and South Africa, after which one makes unashamed fun of those who were fooled.
Both countries have a history of British colonialism
This is the first time in my life I’ve ever heard of this.
My first thought was that this was itself an April Fool’s gag, in two parts:
1.) Tell the “mark” that April Fools gags had to end at noon
2.) Hit your unsuspecting mark with a gag at 1PM
APRIL FOOLS!
(and not on you, for doing something after noon)
So if someone fools you at 11:59 am, you have to wait a whole year to retaliate? We don’t have that kind of patience in California.
I’m also Canadian, and I think I was an adult (in the '90s or later) before I heard of the idea that pranks have to be done before noon.
Canadian here. Yes, always heard pranks ended at noon.
I always suspectedd that this rule was an invention of teachers who may have had enough by the time lunch hour came around.
Full disclosure - my mom was a teacher!