ShopApril Fool’s Day
March 22, 2009 by The Judge
Filed under Filling the Gaps
Mark Twain
The month of April derives its name from Aprilis, the name given to it by the Romans. It has its origins in the name of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. For the Romans it signified “the month of Venus”. In the 13th century English borrowed the French Avril and this remained the name of this month as Averil for some 200 years before April took its place.
In sixteenth-century Europe, the start of the New Year was celebrated with festivities ending on April first.
In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII revised the calendar to the one we know now. The French were the first to adopt the Gregorian calendar.
With the adoption of the new calendar, New Year was moved to January 1. Those who refused to change or forgot were ridiculed by being sent foolish gifts and invitations to nonexistent parties. Those who fell for the pranks were taunted with the cry “Poisson d’Avril” (April fish).
As the new calendar became more widely adopted (Britain did not take it up until 1752) the April Fool’s Day custom gradually spread throughout Europe, the US and the rest of the world, so that cries of “your shoelace is undone” have become almost universal!
In France today, April first is still called “Poisson d’Avril-” (April fish). French children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends’ backs.
Napoleon I also acquired “poisson d’avril” when he married Marie-Louise of Austria on 1 April 1810.
