Victims of pranks are called gowks (cuckoo birds). Regarded as the first recorded example of an April Fools' hoax in history, 'The Annual Washing of the Lions' captured the public in an unexpected way. April Fool’s Day or All Fools Day has been celebrated across the western hemisphere for centuries. April Fools’ Day is a special day dedicated to playing practical jokes and pranks. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may be revealed as such the following day. But most people who partake in the foolish fun have no idea why we still celebrate this day […] Trouble is, no one knows which is true and which are, well, malarkey. One origin story starts in France, where one source states that April Fools’ Day may have begun as far back as 1582 and explains why April 1 is the special date. Here’s one that we like: For centuries, the ancient Roman Empire ran on the Julian calendar, named for Julius Caesar. April Fools’ Day has its share of origin stories. In 1592, Pope Gregory VIII declared a new way to mark the passage of time. On 1 st April every year, people around the world celebrate April Fools’ Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, a day when merriment and joviality is supposed to reign and pranks, practical jokes, and hoaxes are socially sanctioned. But what is the origin of April Fool’s Day? April Fools’ pranks are an old tradition in American and European cultures, but no one knows the exact origins of the holiday.. One of the most popular theories has to … The tradition of April Fools’ Day has been observed for at least five centuries, but evidence suggests it traces back nearly two millennia or more. Those who forgot the change and attempted to celebrate New … The second day is known as Taily Day, and pranks involving the backside are played. The Many Origins of April Fools' Day. The traditional New Year 'Boxing Day', when gifts were exchanged, had therefore to be moved with it. April Fools Day originated in 1564, when King Charles IX decided to move the start of the year from April 1st to January 1st!. April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day is an annual custom on April 1 consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. at the recipient. Some have taken the origin back to Noah sending out the dove before the flood was over, or the Roman festival Saturnalia. It was timed to the first day after the vernal equinox, right when the former Julian calendar marked the new year, relating this theory to the other mainstream source of April Fool's Day in history. Back then, New Year’s Day was recognized as April 1. April 1 is a holiday reserved for pulling pranks on friends and family with news outlets famously joining in on the tomfoolery. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" Origin of April Fools Day. In English- speaking countries it is known as an April fool; in France, an April fish; in Scotland, he is an April gawk. 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