April Fool’s Day is one of those days that can be both hilarious and annoying, depending on how people choose to go about it. Personally, I don’t have a problem with April Fool’s Day. I see it as a time to have a good laugh, play harmless pranks, and just enjoy the moment. Life is already serious enough, so having a dedicated day for jokes and playful deception doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me. However, what I don’t like is when people take it too far—when they go to extreme lengths just to fool someone, turning what was supposed to be fun into something toxic. There’s a thin line between a harmless prank and something that could genuinely hurt or disappoint someone, and unfortunately, not everyone knows where to draw the line.
Speaking of getting fooled, I still remember how I fell victim to an April Fool’s prank last year, and honestly, it wasn’t funny to me at all. One of my friends played a prank on me that had my emotions all over the place. He told me he had sent me twenty thousand naira, and to make it look real, he even sent me a receipt on WhatsApp. When I saw the message, I was in shock. Twenty thousand naira just like that? It sounded too good to be true, but a part of me wanted to believe it. Who wouldn’t be happy about receiving free money out of nowhere? I was already thinking of how to spend it, and in my mind, I was thanking him a million times over.
But then, I decided to check my phone to confirm. I opened my banking app, expecting to see the alert, but nothing was there. At first, I thought maybe there was a network delay, so I refreshed the app multiple times, yet the balance remained the same. That was when I started getting suspicious. I went back to WhatsApp, clicked on the receipt he sent, and then i realised it was fake. That was when I remembered what day it was. April 1st. April Fool’s Day and i was very disappointed in myself for falling for the prank.
At that moment, I felt a mix of emotions. A part of me wanted to be mad, but at the same time, I couldn’t even find the energy to be angry. I just stared at my phone for a few seconds, processing what had just happened. My friend, on the other hand, was already laughing, clearly enjoying the success of his prank. I tried to force a laugh too, but deep down, it wasn’t funny to me. I wasn’t angry, but I was definitely disappointed. The prank had given me false hope, and the feeling of expecting something good only to realize it was all a joke wasn’t pleasant at all.
After a while, I brushed it off and laughed along with him, but that experience made me realize something. Not all pranks are funny, especially when they play with people’s emotions. Some jokes are lighthearted and genuinely entertaining, but others can be frustrating and even hurtful. That’s why I believe people should be mindful of the kind of pranks they play. It’s okay to have fun, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of someone else’s feelings.
Despite that experience, I still don’t have a problem with April Fool’s Day. I just know better now not to take anything seriously on that day. If someone tells me something that sounds too good to be true, I won’t even bother getting my hopes up. Lesson learned. If anything, I might just be the one playing pranks on others this year—nothing extreme, of course, just something lighthearted that won’t leave anyone feeling the way I felt last year. After all, laughter is best when everyone is actually enjoying it.
Thanks for reading.