April 1st is pranksters' delight: you can make countless practical jokes like freezing cereal in a bowl, putting food colouring in milk, or taping over a computer mouse sensor. Perhaps the oldest joke ever is that nobody knows why we celebrate April Fools' Day anymore, which makes it even funnier than April Fools' Day pranks.
It's crucial to understand when April Fools' Day is celebrated before delving into its history. The first day of April is always April Fools' Day. Since April Fools' Day falls on a Monday in 2024, we can kick off the week with a little extra fun. It's already planned ahead of time by ardent practical jokers, falling on a Tuesday in 2025.
Although historians have various theories regarding the origins of April Fools' Day, it is evident that the custom of pulling practical jokes dates back many centuries. Hilaria, an ancient Roman festival observed around the beginning of April, may provide some context for the holiday. Hilaria invited a variety of games and entertainment, such as masquerades and impersonations.
Some others think it dates back to the 16th century in France, when the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar, which started the year in March. It's believed that those who continued to celebrate the new year in the springtime were made fun of.
A person who is tricked on April Fools' Day is called a "April fish" in France, or poisson d'avril. The phrase appears for the first time in a poem dated 1508. The reason for this is that fish were more "gullible" in the spring than at any other time of year because they were easier to catch.
The history of April Fools' Day is so murky that Joseph Boskin, a professor at Boston University, once conned the Associated Press by inventing his own story about the holiday's origins. April Fools' origins can be traced back to the Roman Empire during Constantine's reign, when a fictitious jester named Kugel whose name was derived from a Jewish noodle dish was crowned king for a day.
April Fools' Day was first mentioned in print in a Flemish poem by Eduard de Dene in 1561. In the poem, a nobleman assigns his servant to useless tasks. The servant realised he was being sent on fool's errands because it was April 1. (Sending someone to find a nonexistent object or person is still a common practical joke; there's no need to search far for ideas on how to trick friends and family this year.)
