April Fools 2012 is right around the corner, falling on Sunday this year. It may not be a national holiday, but it's definitely an opportunity to let off a bit of steam by commissioning some good humor.

Here are some prank ideas for the day:

Deodorant: Scoop of the top layer of deodorant and replace it with a thin layer of cream cheese.

Fake Snow: Most people wake up in the morning and look out the window. There's nothing like fooling friends and family about the weather. Sneak outside and spray their window with fake snow, then be there to see their reaction.

Muffin: Surprise your family with some baked goods. Make muffins and top them off with toothpaste instead of cream.

Alarms: Find as many alarm clocks as you can and hide them in places all around the victim's room, staggering them for different anti-social hours in the early morning.

Car prank: Turn all the settings to maximum: heat, radio volume, wind-screen wipers and watch the victim's reaction when they switch the car on.

Car Damage: Play a prank on a stranger and leave a sign on their car door apologizing for an accident that never happened.

Toilet Humor: Switch the Mens and Ladies toilet signs and watch what happens.

Cell Phone: Change someones cell phone language to Arabic or Chinese

Ping Pong Balls: Fill your bathroom cabinets with ping pong balls and watch as the victim opens them.

Origin

The origins of April's fools' day are disputed, but the most popular belief dates back to 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII ordered the new Gregorian calendar to replace the old Julian calendar. This called for New Year's Day to be celebrated on Jan. 1 instead of April 1, but many people refused to accept the new date and where thus branded Fools.

One of the biggest problems with this popular theory (apart from the lack of historic evidence) is that England did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752, and April fool's Day had already been established there by that point.

United kingdom April fool's day