by Schuyler Hunt
Every year on April 1st, April Fools’ Day is celebrated. April Fools has been linked back to as far back as the 1500s. The origin of April Fools has not exactly been discovered; however, there are a few different theories on where this holiday originated. Some have suggested that April Fools comes from the early 1500s when the calendars were changed from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar starting in France. “In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1,” (Zapata C.). So from this, it is believed that there were many people who were late to receive the news of the calendar change and continued to celebrate the new year, which became a joke that later led to the holiday of April Fools. Another origin that some believe April Fools came from was an old festival celebrated in Ancient Rome called Hilaria because of April Fools’ similarity to it. Followers of the cult Cybele celebrated this by “dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens and even magistrates,” (Zapata C.). There is another theory of where April Foold came from, people have linked the vernal equinox. People believed that Mother Nature was playing tricks due to weather changes. Although the origin of April Fools is not truly known it is a fun joke-filled holiday that many people have fun with each other.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2008, July 14). Revolution Day (Egypt) | Holiday, celebration, & history. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Revolution-Day
Zapata, C. (2024c, March 18). April Fools’ Day: Origins, Meaning & Hoaxes | HISTORY. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day