April Fools ... A Brief History and Tradition

Many of the tech news sites have been having great fun with the tradition of April Fools Day. On this day throughout my life I've seen many people poke fun, crack jokes, and try to fool their friends and foes alike. But what exactly is behind this tradition? What are the rules? According to the Wikipedia, that cornucopia of useless and untrustworthy information, the source of April Fools Day may lie in the vernal equinox which happens around this time of the year. Some suggest the French were the originators of this tradition; others claim the Dutch. In ancient times the Romans celebrated the New Year around the beginning of the April. This continued till 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII, ordered that a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) replace the old (Julian Calendar). The new calendar celebrated New Year's Day on Jan. 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and also shifted New Year's Day to Jan. 1.

According to a popular lore, many people either refused to accept the new date or did not learn about it, continuing to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Folks began to make fun of these traditionalists, carrying out pranks and tricking them, this practice eventually spread throughout Europe.

This explanation fails however to take into account records of pranks being carried out previous to 1582. There are many ancient traditions of mirthful entertainment around the end of March and the beginning of April. The Romans had a festival named Hilaria which was used to rejoice in the resurrection of Attis. The Hindu calendar celebrates Holi, the Jewish Purim, the Celts had their new years festival around this time too. There are also theories about All Fool's Day coming directly from the medieval Feast of Asses or Feast of Fools, the latter of which was a very popular French festival. With the time of year being all about rebirth, winter becoming spring, the idea of light-hearted celebrations seem likely.

I remember in my youth being told that April Fools jokes were only valid if they were played before noon on the day, and anyone trying to play one after was considered to be a victim of their own prank, or even someone to be cursed with bad luck. No idea on the validity of this rule, but for me and many I know this was accepted.

One of the best explanations was offered by a Joseph Boskin, who as a Professor of History at Boston University also offered great credibility. He explained to a reporter for the Associated Press that the celebration began during the reign of Constantine, when a group of court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that they could do a better job of running the empire.

Constantine was deeply amused and allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for a day. Kugel passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day, and the custom became an annual event. The explanation was another hoax, but played well with the public having fooled the press with the very subject matter they were reporting on.

Also known as All Fools Day, or Poisson d'Avril in France, whatever the history, the idea is to poke fun. I hope you enjoyed your experience of April Fools Day.