Why is April 1 Celebrated as April Fool’s Day?
As per historians, the day started being celebrated after Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar from the Julian calendar, and ruled that the new calendar would start from January 1 back in 1952. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, 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. France was the first country to accept and implement the new calendar.
April Fools’ Day is observed throughout the world. Practices include sending someone on a “fool’s errand,” looking for things that don’t exist; playing pranks, and trying to get people to believe ridiculous things. The French call April 1 Poisson d’Avril, or “April Fish.”
Hilaria
Historians have also linked April Fools’ Day to festivals such as Hilaria (Latin for joyful), which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March by followers of the cult of Cybele. It involved people dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens and even magistrates and was said to be inspired by the Egyptian legend of Isis, Osiris and Seth.
Vernal Equinox and April Fools’
There’s also speculation that April Fools’ Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere when Mother Nature fooled people with changing unpredictable weather.
