 Many countries the world over actually celebrate April Fools Day on April 1st despite the fact that it really is not a recognized holiday anywhere. The day is marked with the commission of pranks and practical jokes, from simple one to very sophisticated ruses. In some countries around the world, April Fools jokes are required to be undertaken before noon. The origin of that custom is not precisely known and is disputed. What seems certain, however, is that it is some sort of left over relic of the once universal festivities that surrounded the vernal equinox. That celebration began on the old New Years Day -- which was March 25th -- and carried on through April 1st. In India, the festival of spring commences on March 31st and carries forth into April 1st. One of the elements of the festival is the immemorial custom of gaining amusement by befooling people. This generally is done by sending them on what proves to be fruitless errands. Many media organizations through the years have intentionally and unwittingly perpetuated different April Fools Day hoaxes. For example, Datamation used to publish elaborate spoofs of stories related to computers in their April issue. The vast spread of the Internet has expanded the number of people who engage in April Fools Day pranks.
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