There’s a bug on your shirt!
Did you look to see? If you did – April fool! The joke is on you.
Although the day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery.
Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the New Year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.
Many people play tricks and jokes on others on April 1. It’s April Fools’ Day. And on this day, people gleefully shout “April fool!” at those they have tricked.
In Scotland, a person who is fooled by being sent on some foolish errand is said to be “hunting the gowk”. Gowk means “fool”.
And in France, a person who is fooled on April Fools’ Day is called a Poisson d’Avril, which means “April fish”. Why a fish? Perhaps it is because in April fish are young and easily caught. In France, as a special treat, you can buy chocolate fish on April Fools’ Day.
Picture Credit : Google