HISTORYThe Wildly Strange History Behind April Fools’ Day Around the World4 min read

Spain Holds the Party in December

In Spain and much of Latin America, April 1 is unremarkable. The pranks come on December 28, on a holiday called Día de los Santos Inocentes, which translates to Day of the Holy Innocents. The name comes from the biblical story of King Herod ordering the deaths of infant boys to eliminate the prophesied threat of the newborn Jesus. Dark source material for a joke holiday, but the roots run deep.

When a prank lands, the prankster shouts “¡Inocente, inocente!” Borrowing money or goods with no intention of repaying them is another accepted tradition. The whole thing runs on the honor system of seasonal mischief.

The most spectacular version unfolds in Ibi, a town in Alicante. For over 200 years, locals have staged a citywide food fight on December 28. Participants dress in military uniforms and hurl eggs, flour, and firecrackers at each other. It looks chaotic because it is. The town cleans up and does it all over again the following year.