The Origin of April Fools Day

Did anyone prank you in the office today for April fools? And if so, did you wonder where the tradition came from?

Everybody knows that April 1st is April Fool’s Day, however, do you know how the day came to be in the first place?

The first definite reference to April Fool’s Day is found in a 1561 Flemish comical poem by Eduard de Dene. There are multiple theories around the day’s origin, with two theories being the most talked about:

Theory 1: in medieval France, the Julian calendar was reformed and changed to the Gregorian calendar, meaning that the New Year festivities culminated on the 1st April. When the 1st January was officially adopted as New Year’s Day, those who forgot and continued to celebrate it in April were ridiculed and labelled as “April Fools”.

Theory 2: historians have linked the day to spring festivals, for example the medieval Feast of Fools and Hilaria (Latin for “joyful”). Festivities included people dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens.

However, April Fool’s Day’s definite origin is unknown, and will forever be unknown. Isn’t it fitting for such a peculiar day to be shrouded in mystery?