Once again April is upon us, and that means April Fools Day! It’s the day all closet jokesters and secret pranksters alike look forward to. The one day they can pull off their tasteless jokes without backlash. It’s a day everyone either loves or hates. But also a day not many know why we even celebrate.
The April Fools Day Origin Story
The truth is that nobody really knows for sure what the origin of April Fools’ Day is. Although there are some historians who have a theory about it. Particularly one that pertains to the French calendar in the 16th century.
If you’re less of a reader and more of a watcher, this video sums up the following explanation about the origin of April Fools pretty nicely.
According to history.com, the holiday may date back as far as to the year 1582. That was when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian one. The Julian calendar starts the year off on April 1st, which is what many French people were used to.
The Gregorian calendar, however, moved the first day of the year to January 1st. But there were some people in France who didn’t get the memo about the change of New Year’s Day. Those who lived under a rock (or more literally, stone), or way out in the French countryside would have no way of knowing the calendar had changed.
Even those who did live close to people but were not tapped in to the social scene didn’t find out about the change right away. These are the poor fools who were the target of many a prank on April 1st.
The people who didn’t realize the first day of the new year had changed were still celebrating the last day of March like it was New Year’s Eve. Which means they were still setting off whatever the 16th century version of fireworks were. Or throwing parties and making feasts and drunkenly yelling “Happy New Year” to people on what was, at this point, a totally non-significant day.
Of course for those in the know, these people looked like idiots. They were the perfect subjects for endless jokes at their expense. And those unwilling victims were the first in a long line of people who have endured April Fools pranks to this day.
There are other origin stories, but that one is the best one. Whatever the actual reason is for April Fools Day, it’s here. And I encourage everyone to get in on the fun with some harmless pranks to celebrate the day. Emphasis on “harmless”, though. Try not to blow up anyone’s house.
I, for one, am excited about April Fools Day. I’m not the prankster I used to be, but I still like to do a little something for fun. When I was younger, though, I was like this girl on the night before April Fools, just because I was plotting what to do to my six siblings.
![Devious cunning young woman with dark hair clasping hands and smirking mysteriously, scheming cheats, evil prank, wearing casual style jacket. Indoor studio shot isolated on gray background.](https://coyotecountrylv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/69/2024/03/GettyImages-1454211748.jpeg)
A devious young girl is clasping her hands plotting her next prank. She is very excited about April Fools Day (photo by Khosrork via Getty Images).
Here are a few ideas for pranks you can pull off that will slightly annoy your target, but probably won’t compromise your whole relationship. Have fun!
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