Every culture has traditions that are special to that region. These are special days or times of the year that people get together, eat special foods or participate in special ceremonies to remember a moment in their history. Some traditions are universal, meaning that they are celebrated all over the world, but how people celebrate them can differ widely. Different cultural values, regional climate or food help shape these traditions.
One of my favorite French traditions is April Fool’s Day or Poisson d’Avril on the first day of April. In the United States, this day is often overlooked for me. Maybe a joke or two shared between friends or a funny phone call to my sister. In France, April 1st is a fun day full of jokes and laughs. For school children, you have to watch your back—literally! A favorite tradition for children is to make paper fish and sneakily stick them onto the backs of your fellow classmates without them knowing. Once someone finds the fish taped to their back, they yell “Poisson d’Avril” and have a laugh. This makes sense as Poisson d'Avil translates to "April Fish" in English. The fun does not stop for adults either. News articles, radio shows and commercials have fun too. Crazy stories are sometimes published on news sites that are far stretched.
