2004-04-02
Ah.. I'm an idiot... I also have a fact I'd like to share. I thought of this when I realised that I didn't have an April Fool's Day post.
In France, the start of the new year used to be celebrated in spring. The celebrations took place over an eight day period which ended on April the first. In the 1500s, the day marking the new year was changed to January the first, and remains that way to this day. Predictably, there were many who objected to this change, refused to conform to it and continued to celebrate the new year on the first day of April. As a jest, they were sent mock presents from all those who celebrated the new year in January, and were called 'poissons' which, at the time, was another way of calling someone a fool. Hence, the term 'Poisson d'avril', or 'April fools' in English. This is one theory as to the origins of April Fool's Day.
In France, the start of the new year used to be celebrated in spring. The celebrations took place over an eight day period which ended on April the first. In the 1500s, the day marking the new year was changed to January the first, and remains that way to this day. Predictably, there were many who objected to this change, refused to conform to it and continued to celebrate the new year on the first day of April. As a jest, they were sent mock presents from all those who celebrated the new year in January, and were called 'poissons' which, at the time, was another way of calling someone a fool. Hence, the term 'Poisson d'avril', or 'April fools' in English. This is one theory as to the origins of April Fool's Day.
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