April Fools' Day could've started sometime around 1582 in France.
April Fools' Day has stayed with us for centuries. As we grew up, we learnt that this day is meant for us to play a prank on friends and family. Every year, we keep up with the trend, without getting a tad bit tired of this annual ritual.
The day's origins are shrouded in mystery. Even historians don't have a distinct way to track the way back to when people started celebrating this day. Most speculations revolve around the switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century.
April Fools' Day could've started sometime around 1582 in France. That's when the Council of Trent started switching from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar.
In the older version of the calendar, the year started around April 1. So, when the calendars were switched, some people continued to celebrate new year from the last week of March through April 1. It was believed that these people were mocked because of their old ways. And that's how people started observing April Fools' Day.
However, some people link this day to a festival in ancient Rome. The festival was named Hilaria (Latin for joyful). People marked this day by dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens.
There's also another school of thought that links April Fools'Day to the mythologies in Egypt.
No matter what the origins have been, this day has contributed to making us laugh for generations.
The day also falls very close to the vernal or spring equinox. While welcoming the summer in the Northern hemisphere, the day marks a mood of mirth and joy.
People love jokes and pranks on this day. It's not just about intimate groups that play pranks on each other. TV shows and media outlets have also been known for dropping jokes and pranks on this day.