Why and When April Fools Even Started Might Just Be the Biggest Joke of All Time

Every April 1, people go all in on pranks, jokes, and harmless chaos. Have you ever stopped to wonder when and why April Fools started in the first place? Turns out, the origins of this fun holiday aren’t very clear.

In fact, the deeper you look, the stranger it gets. A holiday built around tricking people has somehow managed to confuse historians for centuries, with multiple origin stories and no clear answer. Which honestly feels a little on brand for this particular holiday.

There isn’t one agreed-upon origin for April Fools’ Day. According to sources like National Geographic and Britannica, the holiday has existed in some form since at least the 1500s, but no one can pinpoint exactly where it began.

Instead, there are a few competing theories. Some trace it back to medieval England. Others point to France or even ancient festivals tied to the arrival of spring.

Somehow, every single one of these theories has evidence to support it being true.

One of the most widely accepted explanations involves a shift in how the new year was celebrated.

According to History.com and Britannica, France changed its calendar in the 1500s so that the new year began on Jan. 1 instead of around April. But not everyone got the memo.

People who continued celebrating in late March and early April were mocked and labeled “April fools.” Some were even targeted with pranks, including having paper fish placed on their backs. The tradition became known as “poisson d’avril,” or “April fish.”

It’s a simple explanation, but not everyone is convinced it tells the whole story.

Some historians point to a possible reference in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

In one story, a rooster is tricked by a fox in a tale centered on deception. The timing of the story has been interpreted by some as aligning with April 1.

But there’s a catch. Scholars believe the date may be the result of a transcription error, which means this theory might not hold up.

There’s also the idea that the holiday didn’t start in one place at all.

Spring has long been associated with festivals that involve humor, disguise, and playful deception. In ancient Rome, for example, people celebrated a festival called Hilaria, which included costumes and mocking others.

Similar traditions appear in other cultures as well, including Holi in India and Sizdah Bedar in Iran. While these aren’t directly linked to April Fools’ Day, they share the same spirit.

It suggests the idea of joking and trickery in early spring might be much older than the holiday itself.

By the 18th century, April Fools’ Day had spread throughout Britain.

In Scotland, it even turned into a two-day event. The first day involved sending people on fake errands, while the second focused on pranks like pinning signs on someone’s back.

In more recent years, the tradition has evolved even further. Media outlets and brands now take part in elaborate hoaxes, some of which have fooled entire audiences.

According to Britannica, one famous example came in 1957, when the BBC aired a segment about spaghetti growing on trees. Many viewers believed it.

So, why did April Fools' Day start? The truth is … no one really knows. That, however, is just part of the fun. A holiday built around tricks, pranks, and surprises having an origin story shrouded in mystery might just be the biggest joke of all.