The precise beginnings of April Fools’ Day are a matter of conjecture and uncertainty. There are a few widely accepted ideas, regarding the origins of this custom.
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According to one account, the tradition originated in France in the 16th century when the Council of Trent in 1563 ordered the country to move from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. The Julian calendar marked the start of the new year on April 1st, which was also the spring equinox. However, the New Year was shifted to January 1st with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. Those who had switched to the new calendar started making jokes and practical jokes about those who kept celebrating the New Year from the last week of March to April 1. This led to the creation of the April Fools’ Day custom.
According to a different theory, April Fools’ Day may have originated from ancient celebrations honoring the coming of spring and the rebirth of life. People celebrated these festivities by being jovial and pulling practical jokes and hoaxes.
Whatever its precise beginnings, April Fools’ Day has grown to be a widely observed custom in many nations, with people spreading hoaxes, pulling practical jokes, and indulging in other light-hearted mischief on April 1st of every year.