Like April Fool’s Day itself its meaning is as confused as its origin. Most say it started around 1564 when France moved the start of the New Year from its traditional April 1 to January 1st.the supposed day of Christ circumcision. The change was by no means quickly accepted, and a mess ensued.

In 1582 Pope Gregory instituted a Papal Bull, an Executive Order if you will, decreeing the Gregorian calendar that was an effort to bring it more in line with lunar and even solar time and amend the Julian calendar (instituted by Julius Caesar in 46 BC) that had allowed the starts of the seasons to slip. The Gregorian calendar institute a leap year
But, even then not everyone liked it and some refused the change. In France those who insisted on celebrating the New Year on April 1st had jokes played on them on April 1st a common one was that people surreptitiously pasted paper fish on their backs. They were called Poisson d’Avril or April Fish which is still the French name for April Fool’s Day.
Great Britain did not change New Years until 1752 meaning the American colonies continued to celebrate New Years on March 25, a feast day followed by an octave (8-days) of partying. By then April Fool’s Day was firmly established and had grown to something of a tradition to trick or fool another.

But, the whole thing is misty because Chaucer seems to have spoke of April Fools as early as 1392. Romans celebrated the feast of Hilaria honoring the resurrection of Attis, son of the Great Mother by rejoicing and donning disguises.

Many and perhaps most cultures celebrated the coming of spring. April fool’s Day pranks are sometimes carried to extremes in the west – my favorite was arriving very early for school with a girl accomplice and covering all the toilets in the girl’s restrooms with Saran Wrap. In retrospect it turned out to be less funny than I had imagined it would.