Where (what country) was it considered back luck to play a practical joke on someone after noon?

Hi mozart,

Well it may be the rule in other countries too, but I know that in England certainly, you should not play April Fools day jokes after noon hour.

The English are very much into practical jokes, particularly on the BBC. The ones that catch people out the best are those that suggest any change to centuries old British traditions. If they involve other Europeans, particularly Germans ..well so much the better!

Here are a couple I found:

"In the last year of the millennium, BBC Radio 4 startled anybody tuned in to listen to its Today program with the new decision of the British Parliament to change the British National anthem from the monopoly-advocating "God Save the Queen" to a Euro Anthem sung in German that used extracts from Beethoven's music. Pupils of a German school in London sang the anthem that was aired. It is said that even the royal family was stunned with the announcement and Prince Charles's office telephoned Radio 4 to ask them for a copy of the new anthem. Though, St. James Palace insisted later that it had not been fooled but was only playing along with the prank. "

and:

"The BBC has always found people at important posts and positions to help it fool the people on April Fool's Day. In 1977, Tom Jackson, General Secretary of the British Union of Post Office Workers, was aired voicing his protest against a proposal that the British mail should adopt the German method of addressing envelopes and right the house number after the name of the street. Jackson gave a long speech about the postal employees who would have to unlearn the methods that they have painstakingly learnt to sort the mail and their difficulties and complications that would arise by adopting the new proposed method. He found great support and instant reactions from the audience who called in to join him in his campaign. The only thing was that there was no such proposal and the day on which this was aired was April 1."

(From April Fools Day: BBC Hoaxes )

I seem to remember that on the other hand, BMW used to post some great April Fools jokes under the guise of ads in daily newspapers in the UK..maybe Fred or Bedstor will know some of these?

quote:

Originally posted by dance girl:

I seem to remember that on the other hand, BMW used to post some great April Fools jokes under the guise of ads in daily newspapers in the UK..maybe Fred or Bedstor will know some of these?

Never noticed any but modern car adverts are often surreal or absurdist anyway, so how could we tell?

Here's a link to BMW's. Methinks they show the German sense of humour :
Ads

England is what I was looking for, thanx dance girl.

Saw a few this year worthy of posting

Best of the lot was the idea of painting "double yellow " lines along the entire length of the Motorway networks on the Hard shoulder
Note to American Friends...They are Not used as In North America for Hazard markings on the road

Whats "Hard shoulders" I hear you ask?...Good clear images on this Irish page on how they work