Honoring the French Tradition of Poisson d'Avril
Source/Author: Hélène Simon, Middle School French Teacher
April 02, 2020
During the mid-16th century, the King of France, Charles IX, officially changed the calendar so the New Year started on January 1. Some people were slow to get the news and continued to celebrate the new year through the last week of March to April 1 – a celebration of spring. During this time, gift giving was common. It was also the end of the Lenten season when a lot of fish was eaten.
Those who continued to exchange gifts in April, were, according to legend, mocked by others. They were given fish as a “fake” New Year’s Day present. The tradition continued, and nowadays in France children try to surreptitiously stick a paper fish to their friends' backs and shout, “Poisson d’avril!”
This year, Shorecrest Middle School French students kept the tradition alive virtually and drew fish and emailed them to their friends.
Find more fish photos and a couple video clips here.
Find more fish photos and a couple video clips here.
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