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April Fool's Day

Origins and History

The origin of April Fool's Day is obscure, it's one of many traditions where we don't really know how it began. Although there have been spring festivals for thousands of years, April Fool as such seems relatively recent. The first known reference in English is from John Aubrey who said in 1686:

"Fooles holy day. We observe it on ye first of April. And so it is kept in Germany everywhere"

Here are some of the common theories for the origin of the tradition:

Gregorian Calendar

The most popular hypothesis is that April Fool originated during the switch over to the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Before the change the New Year was celebrated at the end of March (the vernal equinox), with festivities ending on 1st April. After the calendar the New Year began on 1st January as it does now.

Back then communication wasn't as good as it is now. Many people simply didn't get the message - or if they did, refused to accept it. They continued to celebrate the "old" new year hence becoming known as "April Fools".

It's a nice idea, however there's no solid evidence to support it. It might be correct, it might not.

Poisson d'Avril

Another theory is connected to the French term for April Fool: Poisson d'Avril which means "April Fish".

During the spring - and especially during early April - many young fish would hatch in the French streams. These young fish were easy to catch with the simplest of lures and hence became know as foolish April fish. The term later became used for any foolish person and led eventually to the playing of April Fool's Day pranks.

Weather

A spring theory that I find rather less plausible concerns the weather. During the spring the weather is known for its abrupt, unexpected changes. In the UK we have the phrase "April showers". Hence during this time of the year Mother Nature makes fools of us all.

Ancient Gods

Any festival taking place in the spring is a candidate for a link with the pagan gods of the vernal equinox. There are many such gods all with their own festivals at around the same time. April Fool could be a continuation of any - or all - of these.