This Feels Criminal: A True Crime Podcast (Formerly Killer Queens)1 Apr 2025

367: April Fools Pranks Gone Wrong

Before we get into some foolish April Fools pranks that didn't quite land, let's talk about the origin of April Fools Day. The oldest historical reference for April Fools Day comes from a Flemish poem written in 1561 about a nobleman who sent his servant on "fool's errands" on April 1st. In about the same era in France, the people were slow to adapt to the calendar change from the last week of March to January 1st to mark the new year. It was a move from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar that was decreed by the Council of Trent. Those who struggled to adjust were called "April fools," and many began playing tricks on them. Another reference is with the Catholic Church. In medieval France and England, a carnival of sorts, called "Feast of Fools" was held on January 1st, but was banned by the 15th century. Though, it was still held for hundreds of years, despite the ban. Then by the 19th century, April Fools' Day was a part of American culture. Mark Twain was quoted as saying, "The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."

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