Guide Note: April Fools Day Food is one of many ways to celebrate the fun of April Fools Day. This page offers links to recipes, as well as serving and prank ideas.

April Fools Day Guide Note: April Fools Day, typically celebrated on April 1, is also known as All Fools Day. The practice of celebrating April Fools Day is believed by many to have begun in France, when Charles IX of France ruled that New Year's Day would be on the first day of January after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1564. Previous to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, the new year had been celebrated between March 25 and April 1 to coincide with the onset of Spring.

Some people refused to adopt the new custom and continued to celebrate the new year in the spring. These people came to be known as "April Fools" because they were thought of as simpletons. They subsequently became the butt of jokes, pranks, and hoaxes played upon them by those that believed themselves to be more sophisticated. The gullible were sent on "Fool's Errands" to find non-existent items and animals, much like the fabled snipe-hunt.

April Fools Day Food Pranks:

1. Colored Milk: Buy milk in a half-gallon cardboard container so the milk can't be seen, then add bright food coloring and mix well.
2. Mixed-up Meal: Serve a meal in reverse order, with the dessert first, then the main dish, and finish with a salad or appetizer.
3. Dish Disaster: Serve food items in different dishes to confuse diners. For example, place mashed potatoes in a glass and a beverage in a bowl.
4. De-liquified Lemonade: Make lemon-flavored gelatin according to the package directions. Pour the mixture into glasses, then place a straw in each glass. When the "lemonade" has set, serve to unsuspecting guests.

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