April Fools' Day: What is it and why do we perform tricks on each other?

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. April Fools' Day, or Dia Da Mentira "Day of Lies" as it’s known in Brazil, is celebrated by people around the world but different countries all have their own traditions. In Belgium, Italy and France, the day is also called “April Fish Day” – Poisson d’Avril in French, or pesce d'aprile in Italian – and sees children taping paper fish onto people's backs. Google's contribution to this year's April Fool's Day involved Where's Wally Scandinavian homeware retailer Clas Ohlson also brought another product launch announcement - bottles of fresh “Swedish air”. The disaster, which killed 159 people, became known as the April Fools' Day Tsunami because many people thought it to be an April Fool's Day prank.