Easter and April Fool's Day are two of spring's biggest holidays, and a rumor has been spreading virally that in 2013 these two occasions fall on the same day.

But don't believe the hype. Easter falls on Sunday, March 31, this year, while April Fool's Day, as always falls on April 1, which on the 2013 calendar is the Monday after Easter Sunday. So, yes, the two holidays are nearer to each other on the calendar than usual, but they will not fall on the same day this year.

It's unclear how this rumor got started; perhaps it was an early April Fool's Day prank released on the Internet by a merry prankster of sorts. Or perhaps it was just a misreading of the 2013 calendar gone horribly awry.

But it can't be denied that the assertion is here to stay, as the erroneous information has spread like wildfire across Twitter, Facebook and other social media, and it has even led to the creation of a number of hilarious meme images which have gone viral on their own via Instagram, Pinterest and other venues.

Twitter user Sean Conway took the idea and ran with it, sending out a crack (pun intended) about a hilarious way for parents to pull one over on their excited children. Too bad it won't work as it's based on an error:

"Easter and April Fools on the same day. Tell your kids to search for eggs you didnt hide," he tweeted.

And Twitter user Chris Priestly took the gag a step further in the following tweet:

"It is almost Easter and April Fool's Day, Why not teach kids about both and hide 10 chocolate eggs, but tell them you hid 20 eggs?"

In one more twist on the diabolical plan that will never be, Twitterer Reid D. suggested being even meaner to all the kids in their Easter bonnets:

"or let them find all the eggs, then tell them you at[e] all the eggs/candy the next morning," he tweeted.

Twitterer Daddy Owen, to his credit, appeared to be in on the joke:

"Easter Monday on April fools Day? Hmmm... Intrstng... Or lemmie say April fools Day on Easter Monday.." he tweeted.

So now that you know the truth about April Fool's Day and Easter -- namely that they fall one day apart -- don't let anyone try to trick you on Easter Sunday. Instead tell them the joke's on them, and they had better check their calendars.

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