Does Anyone Know Where April Fools’ Day Began?

Where did this prankster’s holiday come from and do MBU students really celebrate it?

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By: BRI JONES

Unbeknown to most of us, the origin of April Fools’ Day has a little bit of controversy and mystery to it.

Exactly why do we celebrate this holiday and how did it even start?

“With a famous prankster who thought it would be funny to ruin people’s lives, one prank at a time, and wanted a day to celebrate it, hence April Fools’ Day,” said Alex Sykes, a recent MBU graduate.

Alex Yousef, a senior psychology major, added to the speculation: “I think that the pilgrims definitely had something to do with it.”

I can understand Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Mother’s and Father’s Day. But where did April Fools’ Day come from?

According to National Geographic, there are a few ideas about this nonsensical holiday.

The most popular theory on the holiday’s origin centers on when France changed its New Year from April 1 to Jan. 1 to match the Roman calendar, according to National Geographic.

This occurred in the 1500s, and since there was not any fast-paced form of announcing the change, people throughout the countryside still celebrated the New Year in April for many years to come.

The remainder of the country considered these people to be “April fools” because they were celebrating a false holiday, according to National Geographic.

However, some historians doubt this was possible because the French New Year was always associated with Easter, which has always been celebrated before April 1.

An alternative and more likely story is April Fools’ Day spread out of “age-old European spring festivals of renewal, in which pranks and camouflaging one’s identity are common,” according to National Geographic.

Despite the mystery of how it truly originated, people still continue to celebrate April Fools’ Day and it is still on our official calendars as a holiday.

With this holiday arriving this week, will MBU students choose to celebrate it or pass it by with more focus on wrapping up this busy semester?

It seems as if some MBU students are looking forward to the holiday: “Yes, I have an idea for it already,” said Joshua Smith, a recent graduate.

While some students seem to be planning out their jokes, others prefer to just stand by and watch.

“As much as I love pranks and I love to watch them, I try to stay away from them because they can hurt people and some people don’t take them well,” said Matt Tilley, another recent graduate.

Other MBU students are not really interested in the holiday, either.

“I’m not very good at jokes,” said Adam Walker, a junior.

Yousef added: “No, I don’t believe in April Fools’ Day. My family and I will not participate in April Foolishness.”

And Sykes? “No, because I think it is silly.”