At C&L, April 1st will be now be referred to as Trump Fool’s Day.
There is much uncertainty about the origins of April Fools’ Day.
Here’s an AI search on the topic via Perplexity
Key Theories on the Origin of April Fools’ Day
French Calendar Reform (16th Century):
One popular theory links April Fools’ Day to adopting the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Before this reform, under the Julian calendar, New Year’s Day was celebrated around late March or early April. When France officially moved New Year’s Day to January 1 by the Edict of Roussillon in 1564, some people either resisted or were unaware of the change and continued to celebrate the old date. These individuals were mocked as “April fools” and subjected to pranks
Medieval and Ancient Festivals:
The day may also have roots in earlier celebrations like the Roman festival Hilaria (March 25), which involved games, disguises, and mockery, or the medieval Feast of Fools, where social roles were humorously inverted
Another possibility is its connection to springtime unpredictability, such as weather changes around the vernal equinox (March 21), which may have inspired themes of trickery
Flemish Poem (1561):
The earliest documented reference to April Fools’ Day is a 1561 poem by Flemish writer Eduard de Dene. In it, a nobleman sends his servant on absurd errands on April 1, making it clear that pranks were already associated with this date by thenOther Hypotheses:Some suggest that it originated from biblical or mythological stories, such as Noah mistakenly sending out a dove too early during the flood or jesters convincing Roman Emperor Constantine to let one of them rule for a day
Cultural Variations
In France, prank victims are called poisson d’avril (“April fish”), and children often tape paper fish to others’ backs.
Scotland celebrates “Gowkie Day” (gowk meaning cuckoo or fool) with similar pranks.
Across the world, newspapers and media outlets often participate by publishing hoax stories
.While its precise origins remain unclear, April Fools’ Day has evolved into a globally recognized tradition centered on humor, pranks, and playful deception.
This year, it’s canceled. We’ve got a ship of fools running the US government.
Open thread below…
