Every first day of April marks April Fools’ Day, a tradition with origins as uncertain as the jokes and tricks many participate in.
Many historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, after France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Originally, the Julian Calendar marked the start of the new year at the spring equinox, approximately around April 1, as we know today. Those unaccustomed to the change or unfamiliar with the brand new year date of January 1 were taunted, pranked and named “April fools.”
These pranks involved placing paper fish on the backs of April Fools and calling them “ poisson d’avril” (April fish). The symbolism behind the tradition meant to label one as a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.
In Ancient Rome, historians linked April Fools’ Day to similar traditions celebrated during Hilaria, a festival celebrated at the end of March by cult followers of Cybele. Members dressed up in disguises and mocked citizens. Another theory is tied to the vernal equinox, also known as the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, where people believed Mother Nature tricked and fooled people with unpredictable weather.
Throughout the 18th century in Scotland, the April Fools’ Day tradition initiated a two- day event, commencing with “hunting the gowk,” a tradition where people sent phony errands with a cuckoo bird, and followed by Tailie Day, which included pranks such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on one another.
Today, April Fools’ Day initiates a variety of pranks and hoaxes among friends, colleagues and families, with most major social media and broadcast networks joining in on the jokes. Notably, on April Fools’ Day in 1992, National Public Radio aired a segment in which former President Richard Nixon claimed he aspired to run for president again. However, it was not Nixon, but an actor.