On the first day of April, jokes, pranks, and fun take the spotlight. Fooling your friends into thinking crazy things, using classic joke items like whoopie cushions, toy bugs and hand buzzers, or being extra sure to not be pranked are all part of the traditions surrounding the holiday. April Fools’ Day has been observed for hundreds of years, but its exact origins are unknown. There are many theories as to how it started and when it first became common all over the world.
Many historians believe that the holiday started in 16th century France, when the Julian Calendar was replaced by the Gregorian Calendar, pushing back the start of the new year from April 1 to Jan. 1. People who still celebrated the old date were called “April fools,” and they were the subject of many jokes. Others believe that it could have come from ancient Roman festivals or even the sudden weather changes brought on by the spring equinox on March 21st.
However the holiday began, there’s no debate over the impact it has on society now. Pranks range from practical jokes played on friends to outlandish claims made on social media by large companies. Freshman Aria Baglia is usually the one who plays pranks on her family members. However, she thinks that April fool’s pranks are more popular among younger kids.
“I think I saw more people playing pranks on each other when we were in elementary school,” says Baglia. Another ETHS freshman has actually had experiences with April Fool’s pranks in high school, although the whole class wasn’t fully in on it. “My class pranked my history teacher. We had a break where we were planning to walk out of the class, but not everyone did it.”
But even though they might not be as common in school now, Baglia still enjoys harmless pranks.
“I think pranks are funny as long as they aren’t mean,” she says.
Freshman Stella Gettelfinger agrees with the sentiment of pranks being okay as long as they don’t hurt people. “I like being pranked if it comes from a good place, but I have kind of mixed feelings because I think they can turn mean even if the person has good intentions.” Although, Gettelfinger isn’t really into doing pranks herself. “All I do is tell people I got a cat and that’s pretty much it.”
Whatever way you choose to celebrate April Fool’s Day, there’s no debating that it is a long-standing tradition to start off spring and an opportunity to have fun with your friends, family, and classmates.
