Do You Know the Origination of April Fool's Day?

If you answered 'no' don't feel bad because there isn't anyone who knows the answer to this question.  I'm going to try to give you a bit of information I found on the subject.  There were references to April Fool's Day in the 1500's, but they were vague and ambiguous.  It wasn't until 1708 a correspondent wrote to the British Apollo magazine asking, "Whence proceeds the custom of making April Fools? 

The most popular theory involves the French calendar reform of the 16th century.  It is said in 1564 France reformed its calendar, moving the start of the year from the end of March to January 1.  Those who felled to keep up with the change, who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them.  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.  This does not seem like a plausible theory though.

The British calendar change seems to be the more plausible theory.  It was the British who observed New Year's Day on March 25 (the date of the Christian Feast of Annunciation), followed by a week of festivities culminating on April 1.  Britain changed the start of its calendar year January 1 in 1752. 

The possible first reference to April Fool's Day may be in the Nun's Priest's Tale by Chaucer written around 1392.  This reference is not clear and is a matter of interpretation.  There are many other references to April Fool's Day by other poets such as Eloy d'Amerval (1508) and Eduard de Dene (1561).

There are many interesting tales about April Fool's Day, but not enough time to tell all of them.   

You can find more debate on this subject at http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/af_database/permalink/orgin_of_april_fools_day

In 1983, Joseph Boskin told an Associated Press reporter that the idea came from Roman jesters during the time of Constantine I in the third and fourth centuries A.D.  Supposedly, jesters successfully petitioned the ruler to allow one of their elected members to be king for a day.  So, on April 1st, Constantine handed over the reins of the Roman Empire for one day to King Kugel, his jester.  Kugel decreed that the day forever would be a day of absurdity. 

More information can be found at this link:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080328-april-fools/

Believe it, or not, I wrote a story for April Fool's Day titled, A Fool's Fool.  It's about a company who makes gags or tricks to play on people.  It's a fun-filled sweet contemporary romance for just about any age. 

Tag:  All's Fair in Love and War

When practical jokes in the office go a little too far, all kinds of accidents can happen.

 Even Falling in Love.

Buy links:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=A+fool%27s+fool#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=A+fool's+fool+by+Sandra+K.+marshall&rh=n%3A154606011%2Ck%3AA+fool's+fool+by+Sandra+K.+marshall and in audio:  http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00945MFMI&qid=1347906078&sr=1-1

 

Have fun on April Fool's Day!  I plan to play a prank on my hubby that day before he plays one on me.  lol