Keep an eye out for toothpaste-filled Oreos, chocolate-covered cotton balls, plastic bugs, and battery-powered rodents— April Fool’s Day is just around the corner. Oh, and narwhals. Watch out for those, too!
As someone who’s more gullible than I’d like to admit, I approach the day with skepticism, always on high alert. Yet despite my vigilance, it still took me longer than it should have to recognize an April Fool’s joke posted last year on the Two Harbors, MN – Neighbors Facebook page.
“Had a great morning tagging and tracking the Narwhal Migration in Lake Superior,” posted Dean Paron. “The migration is in full swing right now, and the breakwall in Agate Bay offers some great viewing.”
Photos of Paron’s crew accompanied the post, making it appear as though they were tagging these majestic sea creatures right in the waters of Two Harbors.
I was already considering heading to Agate Bay, binoculars in hand, for “quite the show” when it hit me—I didn’t own binoculars. Oh, and there were probably no narwhals in Agate Bay.
Almost had me! Apparently, Paron has been fooling people like me for over a decade. His prank was even featured on K102 out of the Twin Cities as the best Internet April Fool’s Day joke a few years back.
According to Paron, the tradition began back in 2012 when he submitted some Photoshopped images to the Duluth Visitor page under “Whale Watching.”
Over the years, his antics have convinced plenty of people that whales—and even narwhals—might actually be swimming in Lake Superior. He even recalled a year when a dozen people traveled from the Twin Cities just to catch a glimpse of the so-called migration.
“I felt so bad, I toned down the gag and tried to make it more obvious it was a joke,” Paron said.
Still, Split Rock Lighthouse employees have told Paron that tourists have asked when the best time is to see whales. Some people have even reached out to him, eager to volunteer and assist with the “migration.”
“I think the funniest responses are people who say the gag isn’t real because narwhals aren’t real,” said Paron. “One person told me they only exist as Pokémon.”
April Fool’s Day certainly has some fishy traditions. While its exact origin is unclear, one widely accepted theory traces the celebration back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Under the Julian system, New Year’s Day was celebrated around the spring equinox, but with the new calendar, it was officially moved to January 1.
Not everyone got the memo, though. Those who continued celebrating New Year’s in late March became the target of jokes and pranks. One popular trick involved sticking a paper fish on their backs—called “poisson d’avril” or “April fish”—symbolizing someone who is easily fooled. This tradition still lives on in France today, where you can also purchase chocolate fish during the holiday.
Other historians trace the origin to the Roman festival of Hilaria, where people dressed in costumes and mocked their friends, neighbors, and even magistrates. Doesn’t sound so Hilaria-ous to me!
Yet another theory ties the holiday to the vernal equinox, which brings unpredictable weather and makes the season full of surprises. I’ve definitely seen some snow in April and wondered if it was Mother Nature getting into the April Fool’s Day spirit.
Wherever it originated, April Fool’s Day is celebrated in different ways around the world. In Nordic countries, instead of shouting “April Fools!” after a successful prank, people say, “April, April, you silly fish, I can fool you anywhere I wish.” I think that’s a lot more fun than the plain old “April Fools!”
Traditions in Scotland date back to the 18th century, when Scots embraced “hunting the gowk” (gowk meaning cuckoo bird), a prank that involved sending people on pointless errands. The second day of the celebration is called “Tailie Day,” where people place “Kick Me” signs on, well, people’s… er… tail ends.
Ireland also joined the fool’s errands tradition. In a common prank, a victim is given an important-looking letter to deliver. When they arrive, the recipient reads it and instructs them to take it to someone else. The letter simply says, “Send the fool further.”
There have been many major April Fool’s hoaxes over the years. One famous example occurred in 1957 when the BBC aired a report about Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees, leading viewers to ask how they could grow their own pasta plants.
In 1980, the BBC was at it again, fooling the world into believing that the Big Ben clock tower was about to go digital and would henceforth be known as “Digital Dave.”
In 1992, NPR announced that former President Nixon was running for office again. It turned out to be an impersonator. In 1996, Taco Bell claimed to have acquired the Liberty Bell and was set to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. One hoax that really surprises me— because so many people fell for it—was Burger King’s “Left-Handed Whopper.”
Going back even further, in 1689, one of the oldest known pranks in recorded history took place when official-looking invitations were distributed around London, inviting people to witness the “Annual Washing of the Lions.” In 1877, readers of the New York Graphic were told that Thomas Edison had invented a machine that could turn dirt into meat and water into wine.
However you celebrate April Fool’s Day, remember to keep it safe and respectful. Avoid dangerous tricks that could result in injuries or property damage. Respect personal boundaries and ensure your prank doesn’t cause distress. Above all, be ready to own up. If your prank confuses or inconveniences someone, quickly reveal the joke and make amends. A good prank should make people laugh, not upset or humiliate them.
Paron recalled that about five years ago, he considered giving up his April Fool’s Day Narwhal Migration prank. By noon on the big day, he had already received a dozen texts and emails asking where the narwhal post was. The tradition still thrives, and I can’t wait to see this year’s reminder that the narwhals are doing just fine in Agate Bay.
