Pranksters of the world unite on April Fool’s Day! While the exact origins of this mischievous holiday are unknown, many believe it all started in France with the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in the 1500s.
April 1 had traditionally been the first day of the new year, and since communication was not what it is today, pranksters would play practical jokes on those not in the know about the date change.
A common practice at the time was placing dead fish on the back of a victim’s shirt and shouting “poisson d’avril!” (April fish). While open to debate, it is believed by some that this practice arose from April’s proximity in the zodiac to fishy Pisces.
