It’s that time of year again when we all start to contemplate what hoax to play or what prank to pull on our friends for April Fools’ Day. But have you ever wondered why we celebrate April Fools with hoaxes and jokes worldwide? Although the history and origins of April Fool’s Day are shrouded in mystery, some historians speculate that the tradition dates back to the 16th century.

Many historians suggest that this beloved holiday began in 1582 when France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar to mark the start of the new year with the spring equinox around April 1. Those who were slow to adopt the change and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on January 1 were called “poisson d’avril” meaning “April fish,” to imply a gullible person. However, references to April Fool's Day from as early as 1561 might discredit this theory.

Another hypothesis suggests that April Fools’ Day was initiated in the Netherlands following the Dutch victory against a Spanish Duke in 1572. Nonetheless, this speculation does not explain how April Fools came to be celebrated internationally.

According to an Independent article, there is a possible domestic source of this tradition rooted in the Nottinghamshire town of Gotham. It tells the story of King John who reigned England in the 13th century, and “claimed any road on which he stepped as his property”. In response to this, residents decided to act like “lunatics” against the King’s soldiers, leading King John to skip the punishment. So, the April Fools’ Day celebrates the “sneaky” people of Gotham. As you might guess, this theory has no concrete evidence.

Even though the origin of April Fools’ Day continues to be a mystery, this tradition is recognised yearly and has roots in a variety of cultures all around the world. With the involvement of the media, this day resumes to be celebrated with a range of pranks, hoaxes, and jokes all around the world today.