Who started April Fools' Day?

Search: april fools day origin

Why: It's tomorrow. Be smart; stay clean; keep the dream.

Answer: Nobody knows! It has been a part of European cultures since at least the 1500s, and it almost definitely has something to do with calendar reform. In 1708, the British magazine Apollo asked “Whence proceeds the custom of making April Fools?” Theories:

• 16th century French calendar reform - In 1564, France moved the start of the year from the end of March to January 1. Those who stubbornly clung to the old system and celebrated the New Year during the week of Mar. 25 - April 1 became the butt of jokes. Pranksters stuck paper fish to their backs, and the victims were called Poisson d’Avril, "April Fish" - which is still the French term for April Fools. Here's an April Fish postcard:

• Julian calendar reform - In 46 BC, Julius Caesar moved the New Year to Jan. 1. Efforts were made to Christianize the calendar, and some countries justified this as the date of Christ's circumcision. However, this meant the solar year was different from the calendar year, and in the 1500s, various countries started the year on different dates. France used Easter as the start of the year in accordance with the lunar cycle. In 1563, King Charles IX decreed Jan. 1 to be the first day of the year, thus aligning legal convention with what had become the popular practice, especially in Roman custom. In 1582, Pope Gregory issued a papal bull that decreed - and urged Christian nations to accept - sweeping calendar reform. It included moving the start of the year to January 1, as well as creating a leap-year system and eliminating 10 days from the month of Oct. 1582 to correct the drift of the calendar. France had already changed the start of the year in 1564... so this really has nothing to do with April Fools' Day.

• British calendar change - The British traditionally observed New Year’s Day on March 25 (the Feast of Annunciation), followed by a week of festivities culminating on April 1. In 1752, the British changed the start of the calendar year to Jan. 1. The festival held on April 1 (the “octave” of the March 25th calendar year change) may have evolved into April Fools' Day.

Source: Museum of Hoaxes

The More You Know: Whatever. Do something totally wacky.