April Fools Day has been a fun celebration for decades. Practical jokes and other foolish activities mark the morning hours of April 1st. Superstition has it that all foolish behavior must stop by noon or the roles will be reversed and the joke will be on you!

Nonsense abounds in our 21st Century culture and April Fools Day offers the groups, organizations and individuals committed to minimizing the nonsense and gobbledygook in our world, a chance to educate and enlighten the public through fun events and activity. It also provides us with an opportunity to commemorate Steve Allen by officially recognizing Dumbth as the Book of the Month.

Another focus of April Fools Day is the Fools Fest campaign organized by AdBusters. The Fools Fest goal is "to tweak the nose of power and authority" (ooooo...freethinkers like to do that too!) People from across the continent participate in unusual activities such as throwing money at people! A description of the campaign from the AdBusters web site reads:

April Fools Day Activity Suggestions:

A Parody of the Paranormal:

Though it's shunned upon by some, ridicule can be a powerful tool and April Fools Day offers an outlet to employ parody and satire in a constructive way. Through skit, fun activity and wacky presentations, consider how your group can mimic the nonsensical ideas that circulate within the paranormal communities and accompanying the activity with hand-outs and informational materials thereby serving to educate others about many of the pseudosciences and other unsupported ideas.

Blunder Expo:

"To err is human" wrote Shakespeare and yes indeed, we humans can often make silly mistakes and do stupid things! Politicians, the media, celebrities and other people living in the public eye are especially prone to blunders. Blunders have even changed the course of history. A Blunder Expo can help draw attention to the mistakes and foolishness that have plagued our kind and possibly work to minimize such behavior in the future. It also provides an opportunity to promote critical thought - one of our many tools in helping to avoid mistakes and stupidity.

Monty Python Film Festival:

What better way to celebrate April Fools Day than to sit and watch those masters of the absurd and foolish tweak the noses of society, religion, and politics, and still have room for a fish dance or two! With today's abundance of videocassettes and DVDs that showcase the best of Monty Python on film and television, take a few days or a weekend out as a group to gather in front of the television, serve up your favorite snacks, and watch the unofficial comedy troupe of the freethought movement.