April Fools' Day: Origin and History
April Fools' Day,
sometimes called All Fools' Day, is one of the most light-hearted days
of the year. Its origins are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration
related to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from
the adoption of a new calendar.
New Year's Day Moves
Ancient cultures, including those of the Romans and Hindus, celebrated New Year's Day on or around April 1. It closely follows the vernal equinox
(March 20th or March 21st.) In medieval times, much of Europe
celebrated March 25, the Feast of Annunciation, as the beginning of the
new year.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. That year, France
adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's day to Jan. 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. Eventually, the practice spread
throughout Europe.
Problems With This Explanation
There are at least two difficulties with this explanation. The first
is that it doesn't fully account for the spread of April Fools' Day to
other European countries. The Gregorian calendar
was not adopted by England until 1752, for example, but April Fools'
Day was already well established there by that point. The second is that
we have no direct historical evidence for this explanation, only
conjecture, and that conjecture appears to have been made more recently.
Constantine and Kugel
Another explanation of the origins of April Fools' Day was provided
by Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University. He
explained that the practice began during the reign of Constantine,
when a group of court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that
they could do a better job of running the empire. Constantine, amused,
allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for one day. Kugel passed an
edict calling for absurdity on that day, and the custom became an annual
event.
"In a way," explained Prof. Boskin, "it was a very serious day. In
those times fools were really wise men. It was the role of jesters to
put things in perspective with humor."
This explanation was brought to the public's attention in an
Associated Press article printed by many newspapers in 1983. There was
only one catch: Boskin made the whole thing up. It took a couple of
weeks for the AP to realize that they'd been victims of an April Fools'
joke themselves.
Spring Fever
It is worth noting that many different cultures have had days of
foolishness around the start of April, give or take a couple of weeks.
The Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25, rejoicing in the
resurrection of Attis. The Hindu calendar has Holi, and the Jewish calendar has Purim.
Perhaps there's something about the time of year, with its turn from
winter to spring, that lends itself to lighthearted celebrations.
Observances Around the World
April Fools' Day is observed throughout the Western world. Practices
include sending someone on a "fool's errand," looking for things that
don't exist; playing pranks; and trying to get people to believe
ridiculous things.
