Why is April Fool’s Day celebrated?« Back to Questions List

April Fool’s day is a day for playing practical jokes and pranks. April 1 of every year, one hears lot of rumors and often becomes prey to hoaxes. Those who are at the receiving end of the joke are termed April Fools and those who play the prank expose it by shouting April Fool. Normally, it is played among friends or known persons. Sometimes, magazines, websites, television channels, newspapers and companies publish fake reports or unusual incidents to celebrate the day which put a larger audience at the receiving end.  Such stories are clarified by giving footnotes to the article on the same day or providing explanation on next day. 

It is believed that the celebration has been in existence even before 19th century. But no specific reason has been assigned to the commencement of the merriment. It is also difficult to specify the year in which it began to be celebrated. 

The first mention about the association of a folly and April 1 is reportedly made in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1392). Some attribute the celebration to the turning of the seasons around springtime. Some others believe that April Fool’s Day started with the introduction of Gregorian calendar in 1582. 

April Fool’s Day is celebrated all over the world. But no country has declared holiday on the day. It may also be noted that the pranks can be quite simple, such as telling a small lie to fool a friend. It ends with yelling April Fool before the person realizes that it is a prank. 
 

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