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April Fools' Day is
always celebrated on
April 1st. It is the
name given to the custom
of playing practical
jokes on friends, or sending them on
fools errands. Sometimes,
elaborate practical
jokes played on friends
or relatives might last
the entire day. Even
the news media and major
companies sometimes get
involved. Whatever the prank, the
trickster usually ends
it by yelling to his
victim, "April Fool!"
The history of April
Fools' Day, sometimes
called All Fools' Day,
is not clear. There is
no first "April
Fools'
Day" that can be
pinpointed on the
calendar, although it is
known to date back at
least to the sixteenth
century. Most
historians believe that
April Fool’s Day
originated in
continental northern
Europe and then spread
to Britain.
Some popular theories
on the origin of April
Fools' Day include:
The
Gregorian
Calendar
Some say
that April
Fools' Day
was first
celebrated
soon after
the adoption
of the
Gregorian
Calendar. Prior to that
time, much
of Europe
celebrated
March 25,
the date of
the
Christian
Feast of
Annunciation,
as the
beginning of
the new
year. The
celebration
culminated
on April 1
and was
celebrated
in much the
same way as
it is today
with parties
and dancing
into the
late hours
of the
night.
In 1563 King Charles
IX decreed January 1 to
be the first day of the
year. Eighteen years
later, in 1582, Pope Gregory
XIII introduced the new
Gregorian Calendar, and
New Year's Day
was moved to January 1. Upon moving the
official
New Year's Day
from April 1 to January
1, there were some
people who hadn't heard
or didn't believe the
change in the date, so
they continued to
celebrate
New Year's Day
on April first. These
people were called them "April
fools" and often
had tricks played on
them. They were
subject to ridicule, and
were often sent on
"fools errands" or were
made the butt of other
practical jokes.
Although
this is a
popular and
widespread
theory, it
is not the
only theory
for the
origin of
the holiday,
and many of
the customs
and
traditions
of the
holiday were
already well
established
prior to the
calendar
change.
The
Arrival of
Spring
Some believe
that the
custom is
related to
the arrival
of Spring
with the
unpredictable
and
capricious
April
weather.
Also, the
Spring
Equinox
marks the
end of
winter and
the
beginning of
spring and
the new
growing and
planting
season. Many
cultures
celebrated
this time of
year with
jubilant
festivals
where people
would wear
disguises
and play
pranks on
each other.
Many
historians
believe
April Fools'
Day evolved
from some of
these
festivals.
May Day
(May 1)
In many
pre-Christian
cultures May
the 1st
(May Day),
which falls
approximately
halfway
between the
spring
equinox and
summer
solstice,
was
celebrated
as the first
day of
summer.
This marked
the
beginning of
the new
growing and
planting
season.
Someone who
did this
prematurely
would be
called an
April Fool.
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Today,
April Fools' Day has spread
around the world, with
different nationalities
specializing in their
own brand of humor at
the expense of friends and families:
-
United States
- Americans play
small tricks on
friends and
strangers alike on
the first of April.
One common trick is
pointing down to a
friend's shoe and
saying, "Your
shoelace is untied."
-
France -
French children fool
their friends by
taping a paper fish
to their backs.
When the young
victim discovers
this trick, the
prankster yells
"Poisson d'Avril!"
(April Fish!)
-
England -
Tricks can be played
only in the morning.
If a trick is played
on you, you are a
"noodle".
-
Scotland -
April Fools' Day is
actually celebrated
for two days and the
custom is known as
"hunting the gowk"
(the cuckoo), and
April fools are
"April gowks". The
second day is
devoted to pranks
involving the
posterior region of
the body. It is
called Taily Day.
The origin of the
"kick me" sign can
be traced to this
observance.
-
Mexico – the
counterpart of April
Fools' Day is
actually observed on
December 28.
Originally, the day
was a sad
remembrance of the
slaughter of the
innocent children by
King Herod. It
eventually evolved
into a lighter
commemoration
involving pranks and
trickery.
-
Portugal -
April Fools' is
celebrated on the
Sunday and Monday
before Lent. The
traditional trick
there is to throw
flour at your
friends.
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