April 1st for postcard lovers

April 1st is traditionally April Fools’ Day. It’s a day when hoaxes and jokes are rife at home and in the media. The tradition isn’t new. It apparently goes back to the 15th century, but could be even older. In antiquity and in the Middle Ages, the tradition was celebrated on 25 March and was called Hilaria.

Old April 1st postcard

While there are different explanations about what could have given birth to the event. It’s one of the fun times of the year and can be celebrated either with a joke told to make someone believe something or as a paper fish tacked to a person’s back. The tradition is very widespread. It’s found in most European countries but also beyond our borders. In China, Japan and the United States, and Brazil, where the day is called “Dia das mentiras” which translates to “the day of lies”.

As is the case for many special days, postcard publishers also get into the act and produce beautiful fantasy postcards. Over 22,000 postcards on the subject have already been sold. The most successful card is a watercolour featuring Punch riding a fish. It sold for €62.

Generally speaking, April 1st postcards are affordable and collections can be quite extensive. The result is fun, as you can see from the few examples shown here.

If you want to discover more, go to the www.delcampe.net where you’ll find a category dedicated to them.