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No one really knows the origin of April Fools’ day as celebrated in this country. It probably began as a festival of spring and then somehow the custom of fooling people on this day developed. One possible derivation is from an
ancient Roman feast in honor of Ceres, who searched for her daughter, Proserpine, in what was considered a fool’s mission. Proserpine had been carried off by Pluto, King of the Underworld, according to the Roman legend.
Perhaps there’s just something about spring that makes people feel silly. In India there is a festival at the end of March called Huli. People are sent on foolish, often futile, errands and men and women, as well as children, throw water on one another.
In France (as in many countries) New Years was celebrated at the spring equinox. In the sixteenth century, the calendar was revised and New Year's established on its present date. Rural Frenchmen who were behind the times and had not received the news of the revision were “April fools”. Today, French
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