April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day, in most countries is celebrated on the first day of April every year. This celebration received its literal name from the custom of pranking people on this day and has been observed all over the globe for centuries.
In this article, we are going to break down the origin and entire history of this well-known and hilariously popular celebration – April Fools Day.
The History And Origin
The actual origin of April Fools’ Day is unknown but there are many speculations surrounding this celebration.
According to some historians, April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. In the Julian Calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1. People who received the news late continued to celebrate New year during the last week of March through April 1. These became the center of jokes and were called April fools.
Other historians speculate that April Fools’ Day originated from the ancient Roman festival known as Hilaria, which was celebrated at the end of March by followers of the cult of Cybele. It involved people dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens.
During the 18th century, this fun and hilarious celebration widely spread throughout Britain. Following this, people in Scotland started a two-day tradition known as hunting the gowk. In this event, people are usually sent to do some errands during which they were ranked by others.
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Present-Day Traditions
There are some unusual and unique practices observed by countries around the world on this day.
In France, there is a longstanding tradition to stick paper fish on other people’s backs, which resembles a kind of kick-me sign. In Brazil, April 1 is the prank day and they call it Dia das Mentiras, or Day of Lies. Iran celebrates April Fools’ traditions with its observance of Sizdah Bedar, which also has a prank-playing element in it. It’s celebrated on the thirteenth day of the Persian New Year on April 1 or 2.
No matter the bizarre traditions or any time in history, people of all ages and ethnicity love to celebrate this day together and pull hilarious pranks on each other even to this day. Celebrities are the special center of attention on this day with their bizarre pranks which are fan favorites.
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