Holiday Community April Fool's There are a few theories about where April Fool's Day had its origins including one that says since the weather plays such tricks on us at that time of year, with spring arriving late in March, that it was named for that. Another theory is that in 16th Century France, with the New Year still being celebrated on April 1st, until the Gregorian Calendar was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory, which now moved the New Year's Day to our current January 1st. Many people either had not heard about the change, or they simply didn't want to change. They kept right on celebrating New Year's Day on April 1st, much to the delight of others who then started to play pranks and tricks on these people.
French children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' backs.
Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the first of April. School children might tell a classmate that school has been canceled.