April Fools Day: Jokes, Pranks, History and Origins

by Sudha Krishna | March 31, 2010 at 05:00 am

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The only thing that can be predicted with any certainty about April Fools Day is that it is on April 1st, otherwise jokes, pranks and hoaxes are the order of the day for April Fools.

April Fools Day is celebrated around the world - mainly in Western countries with some differences country-to-country. In Commonwealth countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa, April Fools is practiced only until 12 pm.

In USA, France, Russia it can go on all day.

April Fools Day History and Origins

There is no agreed consensus surrounding the exact origins for April Fools Day. One theory says April Fools dates back to 1392 and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

the "Nun's Priest's Tale" is set Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two.[2] Chaucer probably meant 32 days after March, i.e. May 2,[3] the anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, which took place in 1381. However, readers apparently misunderstood this line to mean "March 32," i.e April 1.[4] In Chaucer's tale, the vain cock Chauntecler is tricked by a fox.

Others say the origin of April Fools Day is connected with the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar. In 1582, in France, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar to replace to the old Julian Calendar. Of course back then communication was slow and word was slow to spread about the new calendar which had New Year's Day on January 1.

According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false

One thing is clear is that many cultures have fun celebrations that focus around Spring. The Romans did and so too do Indians.

In India, March is marks Holi - the festival of color where you where pyjamas and run around throwing colored dyes, powders and liquid on your friends, family and neighbors. Some consume a drink called Bhang made with milk, nuts and marijuana to add flavor to the celebration.

And not that is not an April Fools joke.