April Fools' Day 2024: History, significance and all you need to know about April 1

April Fools' Day has been celebrated on April 1 for many centuries and while there are many theories associated with how the date became synonymous with the occasion, the most widely considered story dates back to the 16th century France.

France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1582 as decided by the Council of Trent in 1563.

Prior to the decision, New Year was celebrated around the time of spring equinox which would fall between March end and April. After the adoption of the new calendar, New Year celebrations was moved to January.

However, some sections of the population continued to celebrate the new year during March or April 1 and became the butt of hoaxes and jokes by those who had adopted the new calendar.  Those population sections were called April fools and were subjected to pranks.

April Fools' Day originates to ancient Roman festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated at the end of March or Holi in India, which falls around the same time.

Why do we celebrate April Fools' Day?

The objective behind celebrating April Fools' Day is elicit amusement and laughter and not to cause harm. The rise of social media has only enhanced the creativity and reach of April Fools' Day in the last few years.

April Fools' Day Significance

April Fools' Day is a day dedicated to pranks and laughter and offers much-needed relief from the monotony of daily routines and gives a chance to indulge in fun with friends and loves ones. The day serves as a reminder to not take ourselves too seriously and to embrace the lighter side of life.

Also read: 14 Times the market fooled investors