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April Fools' Day
By Wauwatosa Public Library
Tuesday, Apr 1 2008, 02:29 PM
April Fool n. The March fool with another month added to his folly.
The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
Hopefully, you were lucky enough to survive April Fools’ Day without mishap or humiliation. If you were one of the unlucky victims of an April Fools’ prank, you might be wondering how, where and why this tradition started. Well, in short, no one really knows. There have been many explanations for the holiday’s origin (some have been hoaxes themselves!) Its origins are probably related to the turn of the seasons and the adoption of the Gregorian calendar.
Some ancient cultures celebrated New Year’s Day on or around April 1st (closely following the vernal equinox). In the Middle Ages, much of Europe celebrated the beginning of the new year on March 25th, the Feast of Annunciation.
In 1582, the Gregorian Calendar replaced the old Julian Calendar making New Year’s Day January 1st. France was one of the first countries to adopt the new calendar and make January 1st officially New Year’s Day. Those people who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st , either because they weren’t aware of the change or didn’t wish to acknowledge it, were often subject to ridicule, sent gag presents or tricked into believing something false. This tradition of foolery spread throughout Europe and beyond. The French call the April Fool, Poisson d’Avril or April Fish (in April, the sun leaves the zodiac sign of the fish). Traditionally, the French celebrated April 1st by placing dead fish on people’s backs. Today, paper fish have replaced real fish and fish shaped candy and bakery are popular treats.
Many cultures throughout time have had days of foolishness in the spring around the beginning of April. Whatever the origin of April Fools’ Day, people the world over feel lighthearted in the spring and like to have a little fun (often at someone else’s expense). So, if you were the victim of a nasty prank on April Fools’ Day this year, just remember, in another time and place, it could have been worse, you could have had a dead fish slapped on your back!
