The origins of the April Fool's Day tradition!
The origins of the April Fool's Day tradition!
The tradition would have appeared in France, in the Middle Ages, under the reign of Charles IX.
At the time, the year could start at Christmas, March 1 or April 1. It was in 1564 that the king imposed the date of January 1 as the first day of the year.
However, at the time, information was slow to circulate across the country, and many remote villages were unaware of this change and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1st.
That's when people started making jokes about it to make fun of the "ignorant".
And the fish in all this?
Several versions exist:
April 1 falls during Lent, a time when only fish is allowed to be eaten. Therefore, it is only natural that this animal would have been chosen to celebrate April 1st.
Others associate it with fishing: April 1 coincides with the period of reproduction of fish and therefore with the closure of fishing. At the time, fishing was called "April Fool's Day" because fish were so rare at that time that the French took this activity for a joke.
