Poissons d'Avril ~ Musings on a charming French tradition of April 1st

Well, today is already April 2nd, but did you play a practical joke on a friend yesterday, or become the victim of one yourself?  I know, I know – with so many deeply worrying things going on in the world today, it’s hard to be serious about being silly.

Yet April Fool’s Day has a very old, albeit obscure, history that few people know about.  There are various contested and contradictory theories of its origin, including disputed connections with Chaucer, the zodiacal shift marking the beginning of spring in temperate climates, the 16th century change to the modern (Gregorian) calendar, the opening of fishing season in certain regions, and the most obvious – the Catholic period of Lent (with its relationship to fish).  Most people today simply take it for granted that April 1st is the day for playing pranks, without wondering why that is.  But it has a fascinatingly mysterious and convoluted origin. 

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