The
origins of April Fools' Day are obscure. The most commonly cited theory holds
that it dates from 1582, the year France adopted the Gregorian Calendar, which shifted the
observance of New Year's Day from the end of March (around the time of the vernal equinox) to the first of January.
According to popular
lore, some folks, out of ignorance, stubbornness, or both, continued to ring in
the New Year on April 1 and were made the butt of jokes and pranks on account
of their foolishness. This became an annual tradition which ultimately spread
throughout Europe and other parts of the world.
I, for
one, do not care for April Fool’s Day… Bottom line: I don’t like pranks.
