April 1 - Fool's Day
Everyone loves joking and having fun, but on one day of the year everyone does this – from the child to the old man or woman, from the student to the serious businessman. But no one knows why this day is exactly April 1. There are several versions. Some say the beginning was in Ancient Rome where in the middle of february (but not in the beginning of april) the Holiday of Fools was celebrated. Others claim that the birth of this holiday was in ancient India, where on March 31 the Fool’s Day. In the ancient ages April 1 was only considered holiday by the Irland men, and it was mainly in honour of the New Year.
There is yet another version according to which we owe this holiday to the Naples’ king Monteray who was given fish because an earthquake had ceased. A year later the king wanted exactly the same fish. But they couldn’t find that fish and the chef cooked another one, which very much resembled the one the king wanted. And although the king revealed the decieve, he wasn’t angry, and he even laughed with joy. Since then the first-of-april jokes and lies became ordinary.
The Fool’s Day has its national specific way to celebrate in every country. In France for instance it is mainly called ‘april fish’, which was related to the king Charles IX who wanted to move the first day of the new year from January 1 to April 1. Next year many of the king’s affiliates sent celebrating cards to their relatives. On that day the Sun was in the Pisces constellation. From that moment french people find it funny to call ‘april fish’ this very same day because of the joke.