[Sca-cooks] Celebrating April Fools day

[Terry Decker]

> So how *is* April 1/April Fools day celebrated in Europe these days. 
> Unless it is another one of those urban legends I thought it  originated 
> in some of the calendar changes near the end of our  period. I think there 
> is some info on it in the Florilegium. However,  I don't remember a lot 
> about how it was celebrated then or now.
>
> Stefan

The origin of April fool's Day/All Fool's Day is unknown, but there is a 
very good possibility that it is tied to the Gregorian Calendar reform of 
1582.  The reform was inacted to correct the shifting of the date of Easter, 
which is based on the Easter moon, whose first appearance can be between 
March 5 and April 2.  Easter being the first Sunday after the 15th day of 
the Easter moon (if my notes are correct).  Presumably, anyone still using 
the Julian Calendar was an "April Fool."

It is also possible that the basic idea of an April Fool is that of a person 
who planted his crops before May 1, which could possibly make the original 
concept Neolithic in origin.

Protestant countries didn't adopt the Gregorian Calendar until the 18th 
Century, so April Fool's Day may not have been celebrated in those countries 
until after they adopted the new calendar if the common legend is true.  The 
general practice of the celebration is hoaxes and pranks.

Bear