Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Vintage April Fool's Day cards

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April Fool’s Day has passed but I belatedly saw a vintage French postcard which focused on fish. Looking into it, I read the following:
In Italy, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and French-speaking areas of Switzerland and Canada, 1 April tradition is often known as "April fish" (poissons d'avril in French, aprilvis in Dutch or pesce d'aprile in Italian). This includes attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed. Such fish feature prominently on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools' Day postcards. Many newspapers also spread a false story on April Fools' Day, and a subtle reference to a fish is sometimes given as a clue.
Here is a selection of vintage postcards for 1 April, including April fish . . . 
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I can’t read French so I have no idea why the people are portrayed with pear heads, or possibly why the pears are dressed as people. Maybe it’s because they make a nice pair. (Boom boom tch).











These fish reminded me of you, so I am giving them to you


Fishnado
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Elsewhere early on, 1 April seems to almost have been equivalent to Valentine’s Day:



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Some still treat 1 April as a day for practical jokes (most jokes really not being funny):



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Others as simply another day:

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How about combining fish, peace and love:

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Does this remind anyone of Stephen King's Pennywise? . . . 

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One more fish card, somewhat creepy:

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And the last image, not a vintage card but a cartoon:

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