April 1st is a special day in many countries around the world, where people enjoy playing pranks and tricking each other—an opportunity to fool the more gullible into believing the most outlandish things. This tradition in Italy is known as "Pesce d'Aprile" because the fish (pesce) is an animal that easily bites the hook: those who fall for a prank are said to have "bitten like a fish."

As often happens, this tradition also has Italian origins. We’ll share them with you, promising that what we tell you is not a "Pesce d'Aprile". According to the most popular theory, the birth of this tradition is linked to the calendar change. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, replacing the old Julian calendar.