Make sure you don’t have any “kick me” signs stuck to your back: it’s April Fools Day! The first day of April is reserved for all sorts of shenanigans, from simple pranks played on friends and coworkers to big companies getting in on the fun with elaborate hoaxes (remember the “Taco Liberty Bell,” anyone?).
But did you know this day of foolish fun got its start centuries ago? The exact origins of April Fools Day are unknown, but one theory revolves around the changing of the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar in 16th-century France. On the Julian Calendar, the first day of the year fell at the end of March, but the switch to the Gregorian Calendar meant that New Years would now be celebrated on the now-customary January 1st. So when some folks didn’t get the memo and still celebrated the new year at the end of March and beginning of April, they were viewed as fools and became the target of light-hearted pranks. One such prank involved pinning a paper fish to their backs to represent how gullible they are—like a fish falling for a piece of bait on the end of a line. The merry pranksters termed their targets “poisson d’avril,” or “April fish.” The April Fish prank is still played by some sneaky folks in Europe today!
If all the fun and games of April Fools Day makes you feel like a kid again, then it’s the perfect time to indulge in Delysia’s Childhood Truffle Collection. The nostalgic flavors of peanut butter and jelly, s’mores, and ice cream will remind you of those sweet days of childhood innocence—or that night when you prank called your teacher half a dozen times!
Have you ever pulled off an impressive April Fools Day prank, or been on the receiving end of one? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Source: History.com