IL PESCE D’APRILE “The Fish of April”
Italian Tradition Heralding the Arrival of Spring

Emporio Rulli revives the wit and spirit of the Old Country with their authentic Italian Il Pesce d’Aprile, the “fish of April,” a centuries-old Italian tradition that heralds the birth of Spring. “Il Pesce d’Aprile” is an integral part of the humorous games, jokes, and lighthearted mood that prevail during the celebration of Spring’s return. The chocolate and candied versions of the fish hang in bakery windows and “swim” through display cases, while Italian youths amuse themselves on the first day of April by attaching the fish to the backs of unsuspecting companions.

The highjinks that accompanied the “Pesce d’Aprile” festivities in earlier centuries were not nearly as benign. Frequently the “gifts” that were given on April first, were crudely – and cruelly—written verses, as it was common practice not only to give someone the “fish of April,” but also to tell them something one would not dare say on any other day of the year.

Aging spinsters, for example, were reminded that:

It’s much too late
Your pear is out of date.
And no youthful player
Cares to make you his mate!

And shrewish wives might receive versions of the following:

Angel of my fireplace rail
Sweet, lovable and busybody wife.
May you fall on your face in the garbage pail,
Which you’re constantly stirring in life.

There was also a custom of giving fictitious gifts or dispatching searchers to retrieve whimsical objects, such as sending a winemaker to find “the spirit of the wine” or asking a child to seek the “stone that would sharpen their tongue.”

The origins of these games are controversial, with evidence pointing to a number of different traditions and time periods. Most historians support the notion, put forth by a French dictionary of proverbs and anecdotes published in 1842, that the tradition began in the late 16th Century. This was the result of a law passed in 1564 by Charles IX changing the calendar so that April was no longer the beginning of the year. The custom of gift-giving at the beginning of the year, which had been April 1, evolved into a tradition in which people continued to give gives on April 1, but with the intent of poking fun at the recipient. Since the fish is the Zodiac sign of April, the fish became the nominal sign of these jokes.