Pranks
April Fools is a custom that’s celebrated across the Western World. No-one knows for sure where it originated, but there are three theories:
Calendar Change Theory: Perhaps the most widely accepted explanation links it to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. When France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, those who continued to celebrate the old date were mocked as "April Fools."
Spring Festival Theory: Some scholars connect it to ancient spring festivals of renewal and rebirth that featured role reversals and playful behaviour.
Literary Theory: Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" (late 14th century) contains what some interpret as the first reference to April 1 as a day of foolishness.
Regardless, it’s the one day (or the morning, to be more precise, because jokes after noon are considered bad luck!) of the year where pranks are commonplace, with victims falling victim to shouts of ‘APRIL FOOLS!’
There have been some classic pranks over the years, including:
The Curious Case of Sidd Finch
Pranks make it into the workplace too, and not just on April 1st. I’m regularly asked as to whether it’s appropriate that they do, and the answer is it depends.
If you have a team where relationship building is a priority and you have taken the time to understand what makes each other tick, then it becomes clearer as to what’s appropriate and what’s not in your interpersonal interactions.
If relationships aren’t strong between you and your teammates and you’re thinking of pulling a prank, then the question to ask yourself is, ‘Will it undermine the safety within the team if I do this?
People often struggle with the concept of ‘safety’. So, for clarity, what’s meant by this is:
Will it embarrass or humiliate anyone? (e.g. unwelcome personal comments/actions)
Will it offend anyone? (e.g. through bad language or inappropriate humour)
Will it generate unnecessary fear? (e.g. about jobs or the world at large)
Will it generate negativity? (e.g. feelings between teammates or about the company)
Will it lead to wasted time or energy? (e.g. sending people on a quest)
If the answer is ‘yes’ to just one of these, then it’s likely that the prank will be poorly received, and you should steer clear. However, if the answer is ‘no’, then you can proceed with caution!
Just because something is funny to you doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s funny to others. Pranks can definitely add to the camaraderie between teammates; however, if you fail to heed the safety warnings and the prank is poorly received, then the only ‘fool’ will be you, April 1st or otherwise.