By Jenna Higbie

Every year on April 1st, people all around the world celebrate the art of creativity and humor, turning ordinary moments into pranks and playful surprises.

 April Fools Day is celebrated throughout the first day of April. The name ‘’ April Fools Day’’ originates from the idea of playing practical jokes on this day. Although the day has been observed for centuries, its true origins are still unknown.

Many countries have different traditions and ways of celebrating. In the United States people typically prank other people like putting tape over a mouse sensor, plastic wrap on a toilet seat, and many more!

 Other countries such as Italy, Scotland, and India all celebrate with festivals held on March 25th and  March 31st.

Now I’m sure we all know what the day  April 1st is about but there are still some questions left unanswered about where it came from and how it came to be a favorite national holiday.

Some historians speculate that April Fools Day dates back all the way to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. In the Julian Calendar the new year began with the spring equinox on April 1st.  

People who failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the center of jokes and hoaxes that were called “April fools.” These pranks included having little paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” , said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.

In Scotland during the 18th century the tradition became a two day event followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people, such as pinning fake tails or ‘’kick me signs’’ on their backs.

Today, Psychologists have studied the impact that the holiday has on human brains and behavior. Dr Henrike Moll ( assistant professor of psychology at USC) believes that April Fools jokes remind us of the trust we put in other people, making us consider how much we take for granted. However the nonsense that we catch ourselves believing even for a second, shows us that gaining knowledge from others should not suspend our rationality.

Some psychologists even say that playing pranks on people can have a positive effect on your mental health! Laughter has been proven to show physiological and spiritual benefits. People can often experience a therapeutic effect when something funny triggers laughter including self induced and spontaneous. Evidence suggests that laughter has many positive effects on certain aspects of our health.

April Fools day is a great mix of humor and surprise, perfect for bringing people together and embracing creativity. Unleash the spirit of laughter with playful pranks, and witty jokes. It’s a wonderful reminder that a little fun can go a long way in creating fun and long lasting memories with family and friends!