April Fools’ Day 2022: History, Significance & why is April 1st observed as April Fool’s Day?
April fools’ day is a term used to refer to both the jokes and the people who fall for them
KATHMANDU: APRIL. 1 – The first of April is universally recognized as April Fool’s Day when people fool and prank each other with amusing jokes without any repercussions or guilt.
April fools’ day is a term used to refer to both the jokes and the people who fall for them. People performing April Fool’s pranks reveal their ruse by yelling “April Fools” aloud.
There are no public holidays observed on this day in any nation.
History and Significance
While there are numerous theories as to how the day came to be, historians generally accept one. According to some historians, the day was first observed in 1582, after France switched from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar.
The Julian calendar, like the Hindu calendar, began the New Year on April 1st, during the spring equinox. The Julian Calendar also did not accurately reflect the time it took the Earth to complete one revolution around the sun, which is why it was replaced with the Gregorian Calendar.
The New Year, however, was celebrated on Jan 1st according to the Gregorian Calendar. While France was the first to implement this change and accept the Gregorian Calendar, many other countries followed suit slowly and were thus labeled as April Fools as they continued to use the Julian Calendar rather than the Georgian Calendar.
Some people believe that it took nearly 300 years for all countries to accept and implement the Georgian Calendar. Eventually, in the 18th century, the day gained prominence in Britain and was also celebrated in other parts of Europe. On this day, people can get over almost anything without feeling guilty, and they frequently engage in harmless pranks.
