(Ray Troll, 2002?)
POISSON D'AVRIL!
In various western European countries, April 1st is declared to be "April Fish!" This is a curious practice (as fish are not self-evidently merry pranksters, clown fish excepted of course), and historians don't have a satisfactory explanation for the origins of this tradition. While there's some folk history suggesting that this arises from a French king declaring that, henceforth, a different date would be the start of the New Year (which is admittedly a pretty good joke), historians have identified of a number of holes in that story. What seems less ambiguous is that people often gave each other gifts around this time. Since April 1st falls within the calendar window when Lent is observed, a gift of fish would generally have been welcomed by the various Christian denominations common in the region. These fish have simply become more metaphorical in the modern era.
So, I do not come bearing tricks, or pranks, or annoying viral marketing schemes. April shall be a month of fish, and of other aquatic beasts, and of oceans generally. It is time to return to the sea! Come on in, the water's crowded fine.
