April Fools' Day-Origin

Today is April Fool's day! Do you want to know why is April 1st called a Fool's Day. Read this interesting story...

Its origins are uncertain. Many theories and beliefs have run through ages. But the most popular theory about the origin of April Fool's day involves the French Calender Reform in the sixteenth century.

The theory goes like this : In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar.

The new calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan 1st. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's day to Jan. 1. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it or stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1.

Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe. Pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs. The victims of this prank were thus called Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish—which, to this day, remains the French term for April Fools—and so the tradition was born.