The History of April Fools' Day
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If there’s one day when our mental faculties are at their sharpest, it’s got to be April Fools’ Day. Celebrated on the first of April, it’s every prankster’s favorite holiday, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll come through unscathed.
But what's the history of April Fools’ Day? The funny thing is, no one really knows.
Some say it’s a modern-day iteration of the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria or the Festival of Joy. However, others attribute it to Charles IX’s Edict of Roussillon in 1564, which decreed that France would celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1, not April 1. Those unaware of the change were labeled "April’s fools" or Poisson d’avril.
Fooling people on April Fools' Day is much easier than it was some centuries ago, and you can thank news media shenanigans and the internet for that. Some of the most common jokes include whoopie cushions and prank phone calls.
One of the first recorded instances of people falling for an April Fools' Day prank happened in London in 1698. It was famously called The Washing of the Lions, and people were sent on a "fool's errand" to watch lions be washed. However, there were no lions to be found.
It's safe to say jokes have gotten better over the years.
Image Credit: Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock.com
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