Eagle-eyed readers may notice something unusual about today’s Whidbey News-Times.

The Saturday edition happened to fall on April Fools’ Day, so the staff at the newspaper decided to play a little trick on the community.

To be clear, the stories on the pull-away, fake front page of the “Whidbey Snooze-Times” are completely made up, though we may wish some of them were true.

The point of this exercise in ridiculousness is levity — and perhaps a gentle ribbing.

These are serious days on Whidbey Island and beyond. The news often reflects that. There are issues that unfortunately divide many in the community, from military jet noise to partisan politics. It can be downright painful, but it’s important for people to stay informed and keep discussions open.

And we at the newspaper are proud to play a role in that.

But a little humor and tomfoolery can be a welcome break. Humor can bring people together and remind us all of the things we have in common.

Humor is the great democratizer. Nobody is beyond a little good-natured razzing.

The exact origin of April Fools Day is unknown, according to the History Channel and various other sources. For hundreds of years, pranksters in Western nations have been pulling people’s legs on “All Fools Day.”

In 18th century Scotland, the tradition was a two-day event in which people were sent out on phony errands. It’s where the old “snipe hunt” trick began.

It’s long been a tradition for newspapers, as well as radio and TV stations, to participate in the holiday with outrageous stories to momentarily fool audiences and, hopefully, make people smile.

It seems like a worthwhile goal. We hope readers enjoy the edition in the spirit it is intended and that nobody is fooled for more than just a moment or two.