William Atkins
Wednesday, 01 April 2009 05:27
Science -
Biology
Page 1 of 2
April Fools’ Day, sometimes also called All Fools’ Day, is celebrated each April 1st in many countries around the World. Many practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks are directed to gullible or unexpected people. However, where did April Fools’ Day originate? Do you know?
Although April Fools’ Day is not an official holiday, it often appears on our calendars. In ancient and medieval times, the first day of the year was celebrated on or around April 1, which is also around the time of the vernal (spring) equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.
In some countries, such as the United States, the pranks lasts all day, however in other countries, such as Australia, the jokes end at noon. The April Fool is one that plays a prank on someone after 12 noon.
In Scotland, April Fool's Day is celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving a part of the body that is sometimes the “butt” of jokes (if you get my drift).
In Mexico, December 28 is the day that Mexicans celebrate April Fools’ Day.
Even though we play tricks on each other on April 1st, there is not a clear-cut origin for April Fools’ Day. Many historians have found references to April Fools’ Day as far back as the 1500s.
Snopes.com states in
April Fools’ Day Origins, “It has become tradition on the first of April to pull jokes of the harmless variety on those near and dear to us."
"We plot and we scheme, and often the juks are funnier in our imagings than how they play out in reality, but that doesn’t stop usfrom sending the little kid in us out on a rampage. Even the most staid among us have been known to indulge in a practical joke or two, so beware of trusting anyone on that day.”
Snopes.com also talks about the origin of April Fools' Day. Read page two, please.
