April 1st marks a favorite day for many jokers, April Fools’ Day! While not a public holiday, this April Fools’ Day is celebrated worldwide with many people playing jokes or pranks on their friends. Why do we celebrate April Fools’ Day?
While April Fools’ Day is celebrated worldwide, there is no exact commencement date telling us when it began and why. But, there are two popular theories:
- Some people believe the day began due to The Nun’s Priest’s Tale which is a story from The Canterbury Tales written by poet Geoffrey Chaucer in the 1392. In this story the hero is tricked by a fox on “syn March bigan thritty dayes and two.” It is believed that the translation of this was supposed to mean 32 days after March, but somehow this line was misunderstood and people took it to mean 32nd of March, which would be April 1st.
- Others believe this celebration began in 1582 when France changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. This in turn moved the celebration of the New Year from the end of March to the beginning of January and anybody still celebrating the New Year at the end of March were considered fools.
Regardless how it started, April Fools’ Day is not going away. Do you participate in jokes and pranks on April Fools? Comment below and tell us the best prank you’ve pulled.
