The origin of April Fool's Day

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From http://www.novareinna.com/festive/allfool.html[p][p][p][p]

All Fool's Day, also known as April Fool's Day, is celebrated annually on the first day of April. It is a time for the traditional playing of pranks upon unsuspecting people...the victim of such a prank being called an April Fool.
The origins of this custom are somewhat uncertain, but may have initially been related to the arrival of Spring in late March, at which time Mother Nature is said to \"fool\" the human race with sudden and fickle changes in the weather...showers one minute and sunshine the next. The playing of practical jokes, however, dates back to Ancient Rome and such activities were an integral part of the Hilaria celebrations held on March 25, a celebration which would again appear to be associated with the coming of Spring and the Vernal Equinox, held to honor the resurrection of Attis, Roman God of Vegetation who was linked to the seasonal cycle. In England, an ancient legend states that April Fool's Day commemorates the fruitless mission of the Rook (or European Crow) which was sent out in search of land from Noah's flood-encircled ark.
It is generally accepted that the All Fool's Day tradition began in France during the Sixteenth Century, when the beginning of the New Year was observed on April 1 and was celebrated in much the same way as New Year is today with parties and dancing late into the night. At that time, the festivities ran for a week, beginning on March 25, and included the exchanging of gifts. In 1582, however, during the reign of King Charles IX, Pope Gregory introduced a revised calendar for the Christian world wherein the New Year fell on January 1. Since it took some time, possibly even years, for many people to even hear word of the change (communications being what they were in the Sixteenth Century) and since others obstinately refused to accept such reform or simply forgot, New Year's Day continued to be celebrated on the first day of April in many areas. Individuals who had accepted the dates of the new calendar played tricks on those who had not and referred to the unfortunate victims of such pranks as \"April Fools,\" sending them on a \"fool's errand\" (an invitation to a non-existent party, for example) or attempting to make them believe that something which was true was actually false. Over time, this practice evolved into an annual tradition of April 1 prank-playing, eventually migrating to England and Scotland during the Eighteenth Century and thus, introduced to the American colonies by British and French settlers.
Some historians maintain that the development of All Fool's Day is linked to the medieval Feast of Asses or Feast of Fools, and the latter certainly was a most popular French festival. It does, however, seem unlikely that such a feast day was associated in any manner with the New Year in this instance, since such celebrations occurred at the time of the Feast of the Circumcision on January 1 which, during medieval times, was not the date of the New Year (under the Julian calendar, the New Year was celebrated in March). With the passage of time, it is far from easy to now distinguish between the Feast of Fools and the Feast of Asses, which may also have been celebrated in January. Many church dignitaries were honored on specific feast days during the Christmas season...the deacons on December 26 (Saint Stephen's Day), the priests on December 27 (Saint John's Day), the choristers and mass-servers on December 28 (Day of the Holy Innocents) and the sub-deacons on January 1 (Feast of the Circumcision). Later, the feast of the sub-deacons was replaced by the Guild of Fools, the customs and buffoonery of which then became associated with the sub-deacons' festivities and most likely had their origins in earlier Pagan customs, such as the Roman Saturnalia (celebrated in December), when slaves were granted temporary equality with their masters. During the Feast of Asses, the preacher impersonated the Hebrew prophets while arguing the Divinity of Christ. This sermon evolved into a drama, including actors and a procession which incorporated the riding of an ass (most probably symbolized by a hobby horse) into the church. This lavish spectacle was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the parishioners...so much so, that it eventually developed separately until the festival became known as the Feast of Asses and, in its turn, gradually became absorbed into the Feast of Fools. The Feast of Fools was later outlawed by the Church in some areas due to the licentious behavior of the congregation during this time.
There is even speculation that All Fool's Day originated in the Hindu festival of Huli or Holi, celebrated in March to commemorate the defeat of evil. Originally lasting for five days, the modern version of this festival covers two days only. On the first day, a bonfire is lit and, on the second, people throw colored powder and water over each other. Holi celebrations are associated with the Hindu Demoness, Holika.
In many cultures, tradition dictates that the pranking period must expire at noon on April 1 and any jokes attempted after that hour will bring back luck to the perpetrator. In addition, any who fail to respond with a good humor to tricks played upon them are said to attract bad luck unto themselves. Such victims are, however, entitled to \"turn the tables\" after the hour of noon with the retort: \"April Fool's gone past...and you're the biggest fool at last!\" It should be noted that not all April Fool superstitions are negative. Males who are fooled by a pretty female, for example, are said to be fated to marry the girl...or at least enjoy a healthy friendship with her.
The style of April Fool's pranks has changed over the years. Sending unsuspecting parties on pointless errands was a particularly prized practical joke in the early history of the celebrations. Today, however, it is often a time of initiation rites into a club or group, especially by the adult population, and it is the children who appear to truly celebrate the day complete with its original sense of abandon. Otherwise, modern pranks tend to center more around bogus telephone calls and media-driven foolery. In sum, All Fool's Day is a \"for fun only\" observance...a time when nobody is expected to buy gifts, receive cards or spend money and there are no vacations from work or school. The primary force behind April Fool's Day jokes and pranks are that they should not be harmful but able to be enjoyed by everyone...especially the person upon whom the joke is played.


From http://www.cbe21.com/subject/eng ... 0050401_100393.html
UNLIKE most other nonfoolish holidays,April Fool's Day,or sometimes All Fool's day,has a fairly foggy history.
?There is no\"first April Fool's Day \"that can be pinpointed. Some believe it evolved in several cultures at the same time.The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition is 1582,in France.
?Prior to that,the new year was celebrated for eight days,in the spring ,beginning on March 25 and ending on April 1.New Year's Day was moved to January 1,when Charles Ⅸ of France introduced the Gregorian Calendar in 1564.
?However,communications being what they were in the days when news travelled by foot,many people did not receive the news for several years.
?Others refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1.These \"backward folk\" were labeled as \"fools\" by the populace .
?This troublesome behaviour evolved over time into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April .The tradition spread to England and Scotland in the 18th century.April Fool's Day then developed into an international day of fun.


From http://www.for68.com/new/2006%5C2%5Cwa14315424152260021430-0.htm
  April Fool's Day is traditionally a day to play practical jokes on others, send people on fool's errands, and fool the unsuspecting. No one knows how this holiday began but it was thought to have originated in France. The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. New Year's was celebrated on March 25 and celebrations lasted until April 1st. When New Year's Day as changed from March 25 to January 1st in the mid-1560's by King Charles IX, there were some people who still celebrated it on April 1st and those people were called April Fools.
　Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, \"Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about \"spaghetti farmers\" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, \"April Fool!\"
　April Fool's Day is a \"for-fun-only\" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their \"significant other\" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!
　Each country celebrates April Fool's differently. In France, the April Fool's is called \"April Fish\" (Poisson d'Avril). The French fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' backs and when some discovers a this trick, they yell \"oisson d'Avril!\".
　In England, tricks can be played only in the morning. If a trick is played on you, you are a \"noodle\". In Scotland, April Fools Day is 48 hours long and you are called an \"April Gowk\", which is another name for a cuckoo bird. The second day in Scotland's April Fool's is called Taily Day and is dedicated to pranks involving the buttocks. Taily Day's gift to posterior posterity is the still-hilarious \"Kick Me\" sign.