April Fool Day History: April Fool’s Day is celebrated all over the world on April 1, on this day people try to fool each other. In Hindi, it is also called Fool’s Day all over the world. Even after growing up, people do not take April Fool so seriously, but it used to be a very thrilling day in school days. On this day every child tries to make someone or the other an April Fool. But have you ever wondered how this April Fool started and who first made whom April Fool in this world?
How did April fools start?
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The earliest reference to fooling someone on April 1st is inspired by a story recorded in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1392). According to the story Nun’s Priest’s Tale, the engagement of King Richard II of England and Queen of Bohemia was told to the public and it was said that their engagement has been fixed on 32 March. The people there accepted this as truth and collectively all became April Fools, because March 32 was not a date at all, it was April.
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On the other hand, according to another story, the new year was always celebrated on 1 April in ancient Europe. But in 1582, Pope Gregory 13 issued a new calendar and directed that the new year be celebrated on January 1. It is said that even after this, those who used to celebrate New Year on April 1, were made fun of by calling them fools and hence April 1 was called Fool’s Day.
This story is also popular
Another story that is popular about April Fool’s Day is that on April 1, 1915, a rumor spread that a British pilot had dropped a bomb at Lille Airport in Germany. On hearing this, the people present there started running here and there. But when there was no explosion for some time, people went near it and saw that a football was thrown there, on which April Fool was written.
Why is April Fools’ Day celebrated on April 1: April Fool Day History
The history behind April Fools’ Day is unknown, and there have been multiple hypotheses regarding its origins. However, the most plausible theory links it back to the late 16th century, when Pope Gregory XIII proposed the implementation of the Gregorian calendar.
When the Gregorian calendar came into effect, January 1 became the start of the year. It replaced the practice of starting the year at the end of March according to the Julian calendar. France became the first country to accept and implement the new calendar.
Despite the news being disseminated, some individuals were unaware of the change or refused to follow the new changes. They continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1. Thus, people who followed the Gregorian calendar started mocking and ridiculing these people.
The general takeaway was that those who refused to follow the new calendar were considered to be fools and made fun of by those who did. Thereby, giving rise to the tradition of April Fools’ Day on April 1.
