April 1—a date notorious for tricks and jokes, as well as eerily-believable pranks by large companies such as Google and Apple. On this day, newspapers, TV news stations, and companies often espouse ridiculous claims, deliberate “fake news,” to trick their gullible audiences. But how did this holiday come to be, and how did it transform into the worldwide phenomenon that it is now?
The exact origins of April Fools’, also known as All Fools’ Day, are unknown. The holiday has been celebrated by many cultures for centuries, but the culture responsible for inventing this holiday are a mystery. One hypothesis is that April Fools’ Day was invented in 1582, when France switched from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. Those who were unaware of the switch continued to follow the Julian Calendar, and thus celebrated the new year during the last week of March through April 1 rather than on January 1st; these people were publicly ridiculed and became the subject of numerous jokes and pranks. People would place paper fish—a symbol of naivety and gullibility called “poisson d’avril” (“April fish”)—on their backs. Perhaps this was the start of April Fools’, a day created by the French to humiliate and ostracize uninformed citizens.
Some historians trace the origins of April Fools’ to a more celebratory event: the festival of Hilaria in Ancient Rome, held to honor the mother of the gods. Hilaria included a variety of amusements and games in honor of the gods and in celebration of Rome, including masquerade balls and activities in which people wearing disguises went around tricking and playing pranks on other Romans. In contrast, historical records indicate that April Fools’ Day became popular in Britain during the 18th century. April Fools’ Day occurred over two days: Hunting the Gowk Day and Tailie Day. During Hunting the Gowk, oblivious citizens were sent on phony quests that were essentially wild goose chases. Tailie Day was an elaborate event in which people placed tails and “kick me” signs on the behinds of unsuspecting citizens, traditions that still occur in some places of Scotland today.
Globally, April Fools’ Day is celebrated very differently based on the cultural values of each country, and each culture has a distinctive twist on the holiday. In Germany, April Fools’ Day pranks are played until noon, after which it is considered bad luck and disrespectful to trick and joke. Contrastingly, France has continued the tradition of sticking paper fish on the backs of unsuspecting citizens. In Portugal, April Fools’ Day is celebrated over two days and is marked by people throwing flour at each other in the streets. April Fools’ Day is celebrated joyously across the world, and no matter where it is celebrated, it has common elements of pranking and joking with fellow citizens with the goal of creating relationships and developing closer-knit communities.