The Swedish Way of April Fool’s Day
The day to be careful
I know that a lot of countries around the globe have April Fool’s Day. And so does Sweden. Today is the day when you have to be on your guard, watch your back, be careful. Today is the day when the entire nation tries to fool eachother.
The news, the radio, friends, family. You’re never safe. People makes plans for this day months before the first of April.
And when we’ve managed to trick someone, we go ”April april din dumma sill, jag kan lura dig vart jag vill” = April, April, you stupid herring, I can fool you where ever I want.
Stupid, isn’t it, but in Swedish it at least rhymes 
One of the biggest April Fools in Swedish history is the one about the nylon stocking. In 1962, before colour TV came to Sweden, the wellknown Swedish profile Kjell Stensson, told the Swedish people that they just had installed new equipment in the TV-house. He said that this was great for everyone, ’cause now they didn’t need to buy a new TV to get colour-TV, all they had to do was to put a nylon stocking over the TV, and they’d see colour.
So if you could have watched us Swedes from heaven that night, you would have seen lots of people cutting their stocknings and putting them on the TV.
Actually, when people found out that this was just a stupid joke, some got VERY upset. Some even sent horrible letters to this poor Kjell Stensson, who was only trying to be funny.
Did I fool anyone today?
No, I don’t fool poeple on April Fool’s Day.
I don’t fool people this day. I like fooling people. But on April fool’s day it feels too obvious. And my jokes are normally spontanious, I don’t spend hours planning them. So no, April fool’s day is fun, I like reading the news and I always try to figure out what’s a joke today.
Dad fooled me early this morning. I was eating breakfast when he looked out the window and said:
”Have you moved your car?”
”No, WHAT? Isn’t it there?” I asked.
”Well, I can’t see it”
So I rushed up to see where my dear car was. And luckily it was there. In some seconds many thoughts rushed through my brain.
”My insurence isn’t good enough for a stolen car!”
”I don’t wanna spend money on a new car!”
”What am I supposed to do?!”
”Those bastard!”
”How? There are lots of neighbours around!”
LUCKILY I was just being fooled!
Did anyone out there got fooled today?
