April Fool's Day - 1st April
By Christopher Tait

April Fool's Day falls each and every year on the 1st of April. The origins of April Fool's day are a little blurred and there is mention as far back as Chaucer's Story The Nun's Priest's Tale dating from around 1400 which is about two fools and takes place on the second day 30 days from the start of march (thritty dayes and two) making it the 1 st April.

The custom could come from celebrations left over from the Vernal Equinox that takes place from the 25 th March until the 2nd April.

The day was made popular by the French who were the first to move the day of New Years Day from the 1st or April to the 1st January (in 1564). Jokes and fun were then made of those that did not know that the New Year had moved. Traditionally presents were sent on New Years Day so false presents were sent on the 1st April when people thought they should be celebrating New Years. Strangely when someone has been fooled in France they are then called the Poisson D'avril (April Fish) - relating to the movement of the sun from Pisces. They then placed a dead fish on the back of those that had been fooled. Today real fish have been replaced by paper cut outs that children try to place on the back of others without them noticing making them a Poisson D'avril or April Fool.