April Fools’ Day 2021: History, significance and why it is celebrated

Happy April Fool’s Day 2021: Every year, April 1 is marked with friends playing pranks on one another and pulling each other’s legs without any guilt. All because it’s April Fool’s Day! The day was first celebrated in Europe but soon spread across different parts of the world.

As per historians, the day started being celebrated after Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, and ruled that the new calendar would start from January 1 back in 1952. Prior to this, New Year used to be celebrated in March-end.

It was April 1, as believed, when the change of calendar from Julian to Gregorian was initiated, hence making it the most commonly believed reason for celebrating the day. Reportedly, while many refused to accept the change and continued following the Julian calendar, France was the first country to accept and implement the new calendar.

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Thus, the story goes that the ones who did not follow the new calendar were considered foolish and made fun of by those who did.

The day is filled with jokes and laughter and is looked forward to for all the happiness it generates. It is that one day in the year when people can get away with almost anything.

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