April Fool’s Day is a holiday celebrating one of the most popular activities in the world – pranking. But do you know the true story behind the holiday?
The Kingdom of Macedonia, located on the northeast corner of Greece, is an area with a rich history.
Known for being the home of famed leader Alexander the Great, Macedonia is also the originator of days dedicated to pranking others.
On the day after a new moon, the Macedonian people would prank each other throughout the day, leading to partying in the street, drinking, and fighting.
The day honors the Greek Goddess Selene because the moon’s “disappearance” the night before was viewed as a sign of terror. People believed they were able to do whatever they wanted, so pranking became common.
As time went on, the celebrations left the cities in ruins, so Macedonian ruler Philip II changed the tradition.
He declared the first day of each month as the day of pranks, leading to less chaos.
After many years, the Romans adopted this tradition, but they faced the same problems.
The city was left trashed and dirty, so it was declared that April 1 would be the day of pranks.
The celebration remained a popular tradition throughout Rome. It is rumored that Emperor Nero’s prank for this holiday was the famous Roman fire, the one in which he fiddled while the city burned.
As the Empire grew, the holiday would spread throughout the rest of Europe – creating the modern tradition of April Fool’s Day.
Well, since it is April Fools Day, you get to decide if what you just read is real 😉