The history of April Fool's Day, is not totally clear.
The beginning of this tradition could be in 1564, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning just after the first day of spring. The celebration typically ended on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1. Obstinate people refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These people were labeled as "fools", subjected to ridicule, and often sent on "fools errands" or made the butt of other practical jokes.

This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. It eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century and then to the American colonies. April Fool's Day therefore developed into an international fun festival, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.

Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, to the elaborate. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"

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