Have you ever wondered why anyone would come up with a holiday that involved people pulling pranks on others? April Fool’s day is one that puzzles many people, but the record will finally be set straight. Unfortunately, there are many different theories. References to April Fool’s Day can be found as early as the 1500s. However, these references tend to be vague.
There are tons of people all over the world who participate in these prankster festivities, even if they don’t know why it’s a holiday. Junior Jessica Batastini admits she “think[s] it’s hilarious, but I don’t like getting pranks pulled on me.” Many other students including Natalie Tokarz agree and say “it’s only funny watching others.”
The most popular theory about the origin of April Fool’s Day involves the French calendar reform of the sixteenth century. In 1564 France changed this calendar, moving the start of the year from the beginning of April to January 1st. Under the old Calendar, the New Year was celebrated on the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox is the time period during the early spring, corresponsing to the month of April. Of course this change was difficult for the citizens of France who were used to having News Years during the vernal equinox. Those who failed to keep up with the change and continued to celebrate New Years on this day had jokes played on them. People began to make fun of these so called traditionalists, sending them on “fool’s errands” or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe.
Another theory originated in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. Modern scholars believe that there is a copy error in the existing manuscripts that Chaucer wrote. The passage stated that 32 days after April (May 2nd) was the anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, but many readers misunderstood this line to mean the exact date of March 32, i.e. April 1st. Because of this mistake, it’s possible people began to use April 1st as a day to joke around.
In 1539, Flemish poet Eduard de Dene wrote of a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on April 1st. In 1686, John Aubrey, a philosopher and writer, referred to the holiday as “Fool’s holy day”, the first British reference. In 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to “see the Lions washed.” It’s possible that any of these events caused April 1st to be named April Fools Day, but there’s just to many too be sure which one is the true cause.
That being said, there are countless pranks you could pull on a person. You’ve got the classics, which include the “kick me” sign attached to someone’s back or the hand in the cup of cold water trick. These are easy to do, but they still provide a good laugh. There are worse pranks like replacing the shampoo in the shower with a less appealing substance, or removing the cream from between Oreos and swapping it with toothpaste. Senior Aly Blakewell said the worst prank she encountered was someone “wrapping her car up in saran wrap.”
Whatever your experiences, always remember April 1st is a day to kick back and have fun. It’s not meant to be serious, but nonetheless, watch your back.
Cayden Benezra • Mar 1, 2016 at 8:54 am
I think that April Fools should continue on. The holiday can be a good time to have fun with you and your friends. As long as it is not taken to far. People around the world like to joke around and have fun. So why not celebrate it? It’s a good time to get evolved and talk with friends and family.