April Fools' Day truly is among the most cheeky days of the year. This year to enjoy a small laugh of your own, consider giving someone a humorous free e-card that contains a small joke or prank of your own. E-cards really are one of the simplest means at getting back at the people that caught you out last year.

Throughout many ancient societies of the Northern Hemisphere, the commencement of the New Year was celebrated on or around the Vernal Equinox, the day on which the Sun's plane intersects with the Equator, causing the duration of night and day totally equal on all parts of the Earth.

The Vernal Equinox normally takes place on March 21st or 22nd. A few cultures held celebrations in February, some as late as May, but the drawn out timing of the festivities perfectly secured all the renewal and excitement of springtime, and the rejuvenation of energy connected with the coming of a new year.

Throughout France, the annual New Year commemoration happened in late March, with the festivities lasting up to the 1st of April. When the adoption of the Gregorian calendar swept the Christian world starting in 1562, and was probably too ceremoniously endorsed by France's King Charles IX, lots of folks who perhaps preferred the early spring festivity to its replacement or were oblivious of the calendar change, continued to observe the customary, seasonal new year.

These particular reactionaries were made the fools of childlike pranks played by their more obliging compatriots; hence the name April Fools' Day.

In France, the name for April Fools' Day is Poisson d'Avril, which suggests April fish, due to the fact that once the customary joke is delivered or the prank has been discovered, the fooled is referred to as "Poisson d'Avril." April Fools' Day falls during the zodiacal sign Pisces, the sign of which is fish.

Therefore, the French term for the befooled. In England and Scotland, the victims of practical jokes were similarly referred to as "April gowks," a term of taunting for the cuckoo, a bird typically located in both temperate and tropical climate zones.

The intent of a regular April Fools' prank is to convince someone that something untrue is true. Thus prankish pranks like distributing invites to bogus parties, sending people on fool's errands, turning time clocks behind or ahead of time, messing up the restroom seat with food stuff, and endless others are not only commonplace, but may be a terrific way of sharing some laughs.

While playing pranks within the framework of April Fools' Day is appropriate, they should be ultimately harmless in nature. There is a big distinction between hoaxing a friend and being malicious. So assuming your prankster plans are friendly, have lots of fun on April Fools' Day!

American writer Mark Twain on April Fools' Day: "The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."