Unlikemostoftheothernonfoolishholidays,thehistoryofAprilFoolsDay,sometimescalledAllFoolsDay,isnottotallyclear.Therereallywasn a"firstAprilFoolsDay"thatcanbepinpointedonthecalendar.Somebelieveitsortofevolvedsimultaneouslyinseveralculturesatthesametime,fromcelebrationsinvolvingthefirstdayofspring.
Theclosestpointintimethatcanbeidentifiedasthebeginningofthistraditionwasin1582,inFrance.Priortothatyear,thenewyearwascelebratedforeightdays,beginningonMarch25.ThecelebrationculminatedonApril1.WiththereformofthecalendarunderCharlesIX,theGregorianCalendarwasintroduced,andNewYearsDaywasmovedtoJanuary1.
However,communicationsbeingwhattheywereinthedayswhennewstraveledbyfoot,manypeopledidnotreceivethenewsforseveralyears.Others,themoreobstinatecrowd,refusedtoacceptthenewcalendarandcontinuedtocelebratethenewyearonApril1.Thesebackwardfolkwerelabeledas"fools"bythegeneralpopulace.Theyweresubjecttosomeridicule,andwereoftensenton"foolserrands"orweremadethebuttofotherpracticaljokes.
Thisharassmentevolved,overtime,intoatraditionofprank-playingonthefirstdayofApril.ThetraditioneventuallyspreadtoEnglandandScotlandintheeighteenthcentury.ItwaslaterintroducedtotheAmericancoloniesofboththeEnglishandFrench.AprilFoolsDaythusdevelopedintoaninternationalfunfest,sotospeak,withdifferentnationalitiesspecializingintheirownbrandofhumorattheexpenseoftheirfriendsandfamilies.
InScotland,forexample,AprilFoolsDayisactuallycelebratedfortwodays.Theseconddayisdevotedtopranksinvolvingtheposteriorregionofthebody.ItiscalledTailyDay.Theoriginofthe"kickme"signcanbetracedtothisobservance.
MexicoscounterpartofAprilFoolsDayisactuallyobservedonDecember28.Originally,thedaywasasadremembranceoftheslaughteroftheinnocentchildrenbyKingHerod.Iteventuallyevolvedintoalightercommemorationinvolvingpranksandtrickery.
PranksperformedonAprilFoolsDayrangefromthesimple,(suchassaying,"Yourshoesuntied!),totheelaborate.Settingaroommatesalarmclockbackanhourisacommongag.Whatevertheprank,thetricksterusuallyendsitbyyellingtohisvictim,"AprilFool!"
PracticaljokesareacommonpracticeonAprilFoolsDay.Sometimes,elaboratepracticaljokesareplayedonfriendsorrelativesthatlasttheentireday.Thenewsmediaevengetsinvolved.Forinstance,aBritishshortfilmonceshownonAprilFoolsDaywasafairlydetaileddocumentaryabout"spaghettifarmers"andhowtheyharvesttheircropfromthespaghettitrees.
AprilFoolsDayisa"for-fun-only"observance.Nobodyisexpectedtobuygiftsortotaketheir"significantother"outtoeatinafancyrestaurant.Nobodygetsoffworkorschool.Itssimplyafunlittleholiday,butaholidayonwhichonemustremainforevervigilant,forhemaybethenextAprilFool!
