April Fool/ All Fool's Day.

We've all fallen victim to pranksters on this day at some point in our lives.  The general consensus is that once midday hits then the joking is over, thankfully.  But have you ever wondered where April Fool's Day originated?

The earliest recorded evidence of this date and the joking comes from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales from 1392, but there have been numerous links to it throughout time and history.  Some claim it is the first day of spring in many cultures and some sources claim it dates back to when the Gregoriam calender was introduced.  The new year was celebrated for eight days from March 25th with the celebrations coming to an end on April 1st.  But, during those times it took quite a long time for the news to reach everyone about how the calender had been chaged, and thus changing certain dates, and therefore those who still celebrated the new year at this time were considered fools.  They were made the butt of practical jokes by some people, hence how the day may have got it's name and reputation.

 

© 2011 Susan Park.  All Rights Reserved.