“The first of April is the day we remember
what we are the other 364 days of the year.” While American humourist Mark
Twain may have explained the concept of April Fool’s in the shortest way
possible in the aforementioned quote, there are multiple conspiracy theories
about its origin. According to one of them, in sixteenth-century France, the
start of the new year was observed on April 1. It was celebrated in much the
same way as it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of the
night. Then in 1562, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian
world, and the new year fell on January 1. There were some people, however, who
hadn’t heard or didn’t believe the change in the date, so they continued to
celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1. Others played tricks on them and called
them ‘April Fools.’ They sent them on a ‘fool’s errand’ or tried to make them
believe that something false was true. In France today, April 1 is called
‘Poisson d’Avril.’ French children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to
their friends’ backs. When the ‘young fool’ discovers this trick, the prankster
yells ‘Poisson d’Avril!’ meaning April Fish.
Nowadays, not only the French, but people
all over the world have kept the tradition going and play small tricks on
friends and strangers alike on the first day of April. Whatever the trick, if
the innocent victim falls for the joke, the prankster yells, ‘April Fool!’ Some
practical jokes are kept up the whole day before the victim realizes what day
it is. Most April Fool jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone. The
most clever April Fools’ joke is the one where everyone laughs, especially the
person upon whom the joke is played.
