Celebration of 1st April as April fools’ day

Why is April Fool’s Day celebrated on the 1st of April?

April Fools’ Day – One of the most light-hearted days of the year is April Fool’s day, sometimes also called All Fools’ Day. The origin of this day is very much uncertain. Some people treat it as a celebration related day to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from the adoption of a new calendar. There are different origin stories associated with April Fools’ Day. Some historians suggest that it was first observed in 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to Gregorian calendar.

In the Julian calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the New Year would commence with spring equinox around April 1. Some people continued celebrating the New Year in the end week of March or around April 1. They would become targets for jokes and hoaxes and were called “April Fools.” The Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, marked January 1 as the New Year. People who didn’t follow the new calendar, and continued to celebrate the New Year during the last week of March through April 1 were at the receiving end of jokes and pranks, a tradition that has continued.

The day is also often linked to the Greco-Roman festival Hilaria. Celebrated in honour of the ancient Greek Mother of Gods, Cybele, it included masquerades, parades, and jokes.

In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on fake errands* (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s backsides, such as pinning on fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.

Brazil celebrates April 1 as Dia da Mentira, or “Lie Day,” in which people try to fool their loved ones.

The rituals of April Fools’ Day include playing hoaxes or practical jokes at others, sometimes shouting “April Fools!” The April Fool’s Day joke is at the end of the hint.

It’s not every day you can play tricks on those around you and have a national excuse to get away with it! April Fools’ Day is a chance for some people– hopefully harmless – fun, and a great opportunity to show your creative side while getting a few laughs at the same time.

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