April Fools' Day gives pranksters and jokesters an excuse to carry out pranks on loved ones and friends. Every year, on April 1, it's celebrated by many. Its exact beginnings are unclear but the History Channel and the Library of Congress report that many historians trace April Fools' back to 1582.
According to a survey commissioned by Casino.org, Florida is ranked number 12 as the best state for pranksters in the U.S. They surveyed 3,000 people to find out how people really feel about the holiday, what the most popular pranks are, and more.
The survey reveals that Florida has 23.9% participation when it comes to April Fools. Montana ranked number one with 37.50% participation in the holiday. Ranked at number two is Rhode Island, with 36.40% participation. Following behind at number three is Louisiana, with 34.80% participation.
Top Pranks People Are Pulling on April Fools' Day
About 50.7% of those surveyed plan to pull jump scares this year. Prank calls fell at number two with 47.3%. Plastic bugs and spider pranks made the list with 32.3%. Although one could argue that plastic bug pranks can lead to jump scares. Some other top pranks include "ding dong ditch," whoopee cushions, food pranks, "tee-peeing," and others.
Where Are Pranks Appropriate to Pull?
The study looked into where it's appropriate to pull certain pranks. According to the study, 81.9% said it's appropriate amongst friends. At home follows closely behind with 74.5%. Social media and school fall pretty close on the survey with 22.8% and 22%. As far as inappropriate places, these include in the workplace (13.7%), for brands/ advertising (11.1%), in politics (2.6%), and never (4.4%).
Overall, many people feel that April Fool's Day is annoying (32.4%). Some people said it's harmless (31.9%). Others believe it’s funny (26%). About 5.2% of people said it's mean.
Pranks Gone Wrong
Reader's Digest shared some of the worst April Fools’ Day pranks. This one many can agree with, it’s pregnancy pranks. Pretending to be pregnant on April Fools' Day is a must-avoid prank. They also mentioned radio pranks. Most radio jocks know better, but there are still some who want to test the waters. The outlet used the example from 1992 of a man claiming to be Richard Nixon telling a radio station that he would be running for president.
"Despite the date, thousands believed it was actually Richard Nixon announcing another bid for the presidency. Of course, it wasn't actually Nixon speaking, but that didn't stop the outrage, and many began gearing up to protest," they said.
You may want to keep the pranks out of the workplace, too. They used the example of a clothing store employee calling their boss to tell them that someone was robbing the store at gunpoint. Before the employee had time to call their boss back and confess to the prank, their boss had called the police. Four patrol cars rolled up to the store. The employee was arrested for inducing panic.
