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April Fools Day had its origins back in ancient time. The ancient cultures, the Romans, Hindus, Chinese and the Hebrews celebrated their New Year’s Day in spring, when life begins symbolically from the dead of winter.

The new year was based on the vernal equinox, an arbitrary time designated by astronomers when the sun crosses directly over the equator towards the northern hemisphere. Equinox means equal night and day. This is a time when day and night are equal.

In winter, the nights are longer, and in summer the days are longer. Equinox happens twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn, called the Autumnal Equinox. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar and called it, what else but the Gregorian calendar to replace the old Julian calendar.

Sorry Julius, you werent around to defend yourself. The new calendar also called for New Year’s Day to be celebrated on January 1. The new Gregorian calendar also did a few odd things, most notably the adding of 10 days to the old Julian calendar. Thus October 4, 1582 was followed by Oct 15, 1582.

This was bitterly opposed by the general populace since they felt the landlords were trying to cheat them out of a week and a half rent. The reason 10 days were added to the new calendar was the old calendar was inaccurate and had been off by 10 days over a period of several hundred years.

So, back to the New Year. Many Europeans, most notably the French refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day in and around the beginning of April. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on “fools errands” or trying to trick them into believing something that is not true.

So, that is the history of April’s Fool, at least that is what we are told.