The Joke’s on You

Whether you’re a seasoned prankster or a beginner aiming for some laughs, Lifestyle Writer Tarandip Kaur rounds up some pranks to celebrate the day of foolishness.

VISUAL: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Hoaxes, party pranks and slapstick humour come into full swing as April Fools’ Day looms. Minds get ticking and sneaky pranksters start crafting tricks to play on their unsuspecting victims.

While it has long been customary to play pranks on 1 Apr, the origins behind this day of mockery remains a mystery.

Popular folklore holds that the tradition dates back to the 15th century, around the time when Europe changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. But when the first day of the New Year had changed to 1 Jan upon the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, those who did not get wind of the change continued to celebrate New Year’s at the beginning of spring. Hence, they were called ‘fools’, and were made to run foolish errands.

Another version of April Fools’ attributes the celebration to have grown out of the revelry that follows during Spring festivals across Europe and Asia.

While the story behind April Fools’ remains unclear, what is clear is that the pranks have not come to a halt. Here’s our list of simple to sophisticated pranks that will get everyone in the spirit of April Fools’.

Easy

1. Replace the cream fillings of Oreo cookies with white toothpaste and offer them to someone during study sessions. Offer them to your professors too, if you dare.
2. Tell your friends that Starbucks is giving away free coffee for every high-five you give to the barista and that the giveaway is a secret. Watch them offer the barista a high-five and wait awkwardly at the counter.
3. Purchase fake creepy crawlies from a party store and place them in your roommate’s shoes.

VISUAL: MASHABLE

Intermediate

1. Wake up students sleeping in the lecture hall with a hidden air horn, available at party stores. People around the prankster will know but rope them into the prank and ask them to pretend nothing happened.
2. Connect the wireless receiver of a wireless mouse into the lecture hall’s computer and unplug its wired mouse. When your professor comes in to set it up, wiggle the mouse that is with you and watch your professor’s bewildered expression.
3. Place a large and opaque box in Canopy K. On the box, paste a notice informing students that the box contains attractive lucky draw prizes. Fill the box with squishy fake insects and goo. All students are entitled a chance to reach into the box through an arm-sized hole and grab whatever prize they can. Watch students scream as they touch the squishy, gooey insects.

Hardcore

1. Fill small plastic cups with water and meticulously cover every inch of floor space in a hall room with the cups. To enter the room, students will have to either drink from the cups or knock over them and create a huge mess. Before this prank, ensure that all electronic devices in the hall room have been carefully stored away.
2. Create a spider web in a tutorial classroom, hall room or hall corridor. For this you will need a huge ball of string. Tie the string from one end and have it intertwine with furniture, looping around windows, projector overheads, tables, cabinets, etc. Repeat the process going from one end of the classroom to the other and only stop when there is no way out. No one will be able to enter unless they cut their way through. It will terribly frustrate students who are in a rush.
3. Team up with a professor. Ask the professor to announce to the class that the students have to do a weird compulsory dance (Harlem Shake, Gangnam Style, Twerk, etc.) for bonus class participation points.