April 1, also known as the “Fool’s Day” full with shenanigans, pranks, tricks and hoaxes, falls on Monday this year.
Historians are aware that the custom goes back centuries, at least back to Renaissance Europe and possibly back to Roman times, however, they are still unsure of the exact source of the tradition
Following is an explanation of the origin of the April Fool’s Day.
During classical Roman times, April Fool’s Day dates back to Hilaria festivals celebrated, according to some people’s beliefs.
On March 25, the festival was held which in Roman terms, was called the “eighth of the Calends of April,” according to the Library of Congress.
However, the source of April Fools’ Day being tied to Roman times by one theory is a hoax.
An Associated Press reporter reached out to Joseph Boskin, a historian at Boston University, to discuss the origins of April Fools’ Day in 1983.
Assuming it would be fact-checked and revealed as fake, Boskin spun a tall tale to the reporter.
Additionally, some historians also believe France is responsible for the humourous tradition, tying it to a calendar change in 1582, according to the History Channel.
Popular April Fool’s Day pranks
The BBC ran a broadcast on the Italian spaghetti harvest that pretended the pasta was being harvested from trees in 1957.
They also ran an April Fools’ report on flying penguins in 2008.
In Los Angeles, Airline passengers were greeted with a banner saying “Welcome to Chicago” after landing on April 1, 1992 in Los Angeles, as reported by CBS Sunday Morning.
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