Happy New Year!

April Fool’s Day is one of my favorites. I love the creativity, mischief, laughter, and the thrill of a good prank.

My best friend since age six is an April Fool’s mastermind. Some years, she gets me and our other partner in crime so good that our responses have become legendary. One year, in the middle of an elaborate prank, I left a voicemail so hilarious that it’s now a sacred artifact. Sometimes when life gets tough, someone plays it, cracks up, and drops it in the group chat. It never fails to lighten the mood. Laughter is my kind of medicine.

Today, my second graders and I did some digging and learned these fun facts about how April Fool’s Day came to be. Here’s what we found out:

The Calendar Change Theory
When France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century, New Year’s Day moved from April 1st to January 1st. Some people who didn’t get on board were mocked as “April fools.”

The Hilaria Festival
The ancient Romans celebrated Hilaria ("joyful ones") around March 25th, honoring Cybele, the mother goddess. It was a day of masquerades, disguises, and playful trickery. People dressed up to mock rulers or each other, similar to modern pranks.

Springtime Mischief
Some historians believe April Fool’s Day aligns with older seasonal traditions where trickery and reversals of roles were common, like medieval "Feast of Fools" celebrations.

xx,
Lauren