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Apr 1, 2024 · April Fools’ Day, in most countries the first day of April. It received its name from the custom of playing practical jokes on this day. Although the day has been observed for centuries, its true origins are unknown and effectively unknowable.
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Apr 1, 2022 · What to Know. The origin of April Fools' Day is unknown but there are some theories. One is that religious hold-outs in the 16th century refused to celebrate the re-established New Year's date on January 1st, preferring the end of the holy week in early April, making them "April Fools."
- Origins of April Fools' Day
- Hilaria in Ancient Rome
- History of April Fools' Day
- April Fools' Day Pranks
- Sources
Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinoxaround April 1. People who were slow to get the news or failed to reco...
Historians have also linked April Fools' Day to festivals such as Hilaria (Latin for joyful), which was celebrated in ancient Romeat 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 ...
April Fools' Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people's derrieres, such as pinning fake t...
In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools' Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations and websites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences. In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop an...
A Brief, Totally Sincere History of April Fools’ Day. Washington Post. History’s Greatest April Fools Jokes. National Geographic. Some of the greatest April Fools' pranks of all time. CNN. 15 Best April Fools’ Day Hoaxes. CBS.
Mar 28, 2023 · March 28, 2023. Credit: Pixel-Shot - Shutterstock. This Saturday is April 1, April Fools’ Day, the annual holiday that celebrates pranking, hoaxes, and all manner of jack-a-napes and tomfoolery....
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Mar 21, 2000 · Published March 21, 2000. Image courtesy of Shutterstock. Claim: April Fools' Day began in the 1500s when the Gregorian calendar took over from the Julian. Those who forgot the change and...
Apr 1, 2022 · The joke's on you. Nobody seems to know its true origins. Historians do have some clues, though. For one thing, we do know that April Fools' Day customs date back to at least Renaissance Europe...
Apr 1, 2022 · April Fools' Day is widely known as a time for jokes and hoaxes, but exactly why do these traditionally take place on April 1 is a bit a baffling mystery. U.S. World
