{"id":37286,"date":"2022-03-31T22:03:17","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T20:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.xtrawine.com\/?p=37286"},"modified":"2022-05-31T17:25:27","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T15:25:27","slug":"xtrawine-fun-facts-the-best-wine-april-fools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.xtrawine.com\/en\/xtrawine-fun-facts-the-best-wine-april-fools\/","title":{"rendered":"xtraWine Fun Facts: The best Wine April Fools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Origins of April Fools date back to the 1500s France. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII decided to shorten the length of the calendar year. The \u201cworld\u201d (hence Europe) adapted and adopted the Gregorian Calendar, which we are still using today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The change of date happened during the Council of Trent<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of these changes was, effectively, a new calendar. With the new calendar the total number of days went from being 365.24 to 365.25. Not a major change in terms of length. However, the major change of the Gregorian calendar was when <\/em>the New Year would be celebrated. Up to that date, in fact, the New Yearhad had been celebrated on April 1st. After the Council of Trent, January 1st became the first day of the New Year.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Legend has it that some people were a bit slow or hesitant to accept this change. So, they didn\u2019t  immediately adapt, continuing to celebrate the New Year on April 1st.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These poor folks started to become the object of pranks, jokes and hoaxes. In France these pranks included placing fish paper on the back of those sceptics and calling them April Fish<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally, the idea of the \u2018fish\u2019 wanted to symbolise the foolishness or the gullibility of these people.  A wee cruel, right? Oh well, history can be cruel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

April Fools became \u2018a thing\u2019 in 18th century Britain. People used to go the great length to fool others, at times organising expeditions chasing phoney treasures and hanging not-so-funny signs on people\u2019s backs such as \u201ckick me if you can\u201d and the like. Unlike French or the Italian languages, the concept of the Fish was abandoned to give way to that of the \u2018Fool\u2019. Hence: April Fools Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Famous Wine April Fools.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been plenty of pranks done using wine that are worth talking about. Our top 3: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Great Norwegian Wine Sale (1950). <\/li>
  2. Conor McGregor\u2019s new line of Champagne Champ Champ Ros\u00e9<\/li>
  3.  Jameson Caskmates anti-theft \u201cglittershot technology\u201d<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Let’s proceed in order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wine Surplus in Norway<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This prank is to April Fools what \u201cWar of the Worlds<\/a>\u201d was to Halloween.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Right after the Second World War wine was in short supply. Norway\u2019s biggest newspaper Aftenposten <\/em>published a story about a delivery of wine that arrived at the government-run wine store. However, the paper continued, the government had run out of bottles and was urging wine lovers to rush with empty buckets to collect wine and have a 75% discount over it. Long Queues of people formed in front of the government-owned store. It was all a hoax. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A cool one for sure. Painful for wine lovers like us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Norwegian
    source: http:\/\/hoaxes.org\/af_database\/permalink\/norwegian_wine_surplus<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Champ Champ Ros\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Irish MMA legend Conor McGregor pranked all his social media followers by announcing the release of his own personal \u201cChamp Champ\u201d rose champagne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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