How Did April Fools’ Day Begin?
How Did April Fools’ Day Begin? The custom of playing tricks on friends on April Fools’ Day sometimes called All Fools’ Day began in Europe in the 1500’s. Before that time, New Year’s Day was on April 1st. Later, when a new calendar was adopted, New Year’s Day came on January 1st.
But there were many people who did not like the idea of the change and continued to observe April 1st as New Year’s Day. Other people made fun of them and called them April Fools.
The old New Year’s date was celebrated, not with gifts and New Year’s messages, as it had been before, but with jokes and pranks played on April Fool victims.
You may want to be a little more cautious or skeptical on April 1, since family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers and even teachers may try to tickle your funny bone with a practical joke or a hoax of some kind.
Pranks can be quite simple, such as telling a friend his shoe is untied, or very elaborate. Whatever the gag, it usually ends with the prankster yelling “April Fool!” when the victim falls for it.