The custom to pin up, joke and have fun on April 1 is in many countries. Where does this slightly strange but fun holiday celebrated all over the world originate from? Its origin remains unclear. There are many different hypotheses about the origin of April Fools' traditions. But they agree that their roots go deep into the European medieval carnival and balagan culture.
Instructions
Step 1
The most popular theory says that this was the case. In France, until 1582, which lived at that time according to the Julian calendar, the New Year was celebrated from March 25 to April 1. Then the authorities decided to introduce the Gregorian calendar, so the New Year holidays were postponed to January 1 - the time we are used to. But, however, this news did not reach everyone, and many, out of ignorance or out of stubbornness, continued to note, as they had done before. The more advanced citizens have developed a tradition of joking at the ignorant. Usually, unnoticed by a person, they could attach a paper fish to their backs and tease him with the "April fish". There was also an amusing custom, and he is still alive, to send a simpleton somewhere with a meaningless assignment.
Step 2
But if we consider that the origin of the holiday took place in this way, it is not clear why it became popular throughout Europe. After all, Protestant countries such as Scotland, Germany and England adopted the new Gregorian calendar only in the 19th century. And they celebrated April Fool's Day long before that. But the reason for the holiday could not appear later than the holiday itself!
Step 3
It follows from all this that April 1 has deeper roots, because there were such festivals before - in the Middle Ages and in the period of antiquity. The ancient Roman predecessors include Hilaria and Saturnalia, when it was necessary to change clothes and rejoice violently. There is also information that the Celts also had a holiday in honor of the god of laughter in the old days. These customs are considered the earliest ancestors of April Fool's jokes.
Step 4
You can consider the medieval feast of Fools, a descendant of Saturnalia, as a prototype of the modern Day of April Fools. It was celebrated mainly in France, and the main theme was mockery of church rituals and the election of a joking pope. Despite opposition from the church, the festival lasted until the 16th century. Then the only way to fool around as much as you want was the carnival.
Step 5
There is also a theory that says that this holiday originated in Ancient Rome, where the Feast of the Fools was celebrated in mid-February, and was associated with the celebration of the deity of Laughter. There are also claims that April 1 arose in ancient India, where the holiday of jokes was held on March 31. There is also an opinion that in antiquity on the 1st of April, but only in honor of the New Year, the Irish also joked. In the Icelandic sagas, it is written that the tradition of deceiving on April 1 was introduced by the gods in memory of the daughter of Thias, whose name was Skadea.
Step 6
The scientific hypothesis says that the occurrence of the Day of Fools is associated with the vernal equinox. When the seasons changed, all natural and social laws seemed to lose their force for some time. Reasonable, adequate behavior changed to the opposite: the people feasted and allowed themselves various rallies over their superiors, although at other times for such behavior they could lose something vital, and easily. Culturologists explain the custom of hanging a paper fish on the back of a “fool” by the fact that in France, with the onset of spring, young fish appeared in large quantities in reservoirs, and so inexperienced that it was easy to catch it.
Step 7
And there is also a version that the Neapolitan king Monterey contributed to the emergence of the holiday. In honor of the holiday, which was celebrated on the occasion of the end of the earthquake, they prepared fish for him, and a year later he demanded exactly the same. But the same could not be found, and the chef decided to cook another, which closely resembled the desired one. The king recognized the substitution, but did not get angry and even cheered up. Since then, April Fools' jokes have become a custom.
Step 8
In Russia, April Fools' jokes took hold after such an incident. One early morning the residents of St. Petersburg raised an alarming alarm from their beds, which usually heralded a fire. It turned out to be a joke, and it happened on April 1st. The story is also known that on this day German actors deceived Peter I and the audience, who gathered for the play, and instead of presenting the play, they put on the stage a banner: "April Fools' Day." This behavior did not annoy Peter, and when leaving the theater he only said: "The liberty of the comedians."
