There are several different tales that outline the origin of April Fools' Day. One relates to the French switching from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian in the 16th century, which moved date of the new year from April 1 to January 1, thus making those who were the last to know, “April fools”.
Another links back to Ancient Rome, where at the end of March, cult members took part in the festival of Hilaria, which involved the light-hearted mocking of fellow Romans and even government officials.
In more recent years, April Fools’ Day pranks range from simple home & office jokes, all the way up to Volkswagen’s infamous name change, Google innovations that are too good to be true, and even Taco Bell’s famous announcement in 1996 that the company had purchased the Liberty Bell in an effort to help the national debt, renaming it the “Taco Liberty Bell” – a move that even fooled a few U.S. Senators.
So, here’s to a day where many of us will play either the trickster, or the ill-fated victim of a (hopefully) harmless April Fools’ Day prank. Happy April Fools’ Day!
P.S. – If you’re looking for some great last-minute ideas to trick your friends and family members, click this link to see a list of simple, but hilarious pranks.
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