April Fools’ Day is fast approaching, a holiday where one must be skeptical of everything they hear (and potentially still fall for a prank or two). It’s a fun day of japes and jokes… but where exactly did it come from, anyway? And how did the first day of April become synonymous with pranks and put-ons?
Well, the truth is a little murky. But some historians say April Fools’ Day’s origins can be traced all the way back to ancient religious celebrations during the Middle Ages, including some eyebrow-raising Christian feast days.
No foolin’ here: this is the secret religious history of April Fool’s Day.
Where Does April Fool's Day Come From?
Like many of our modern traditions with ancient origins, the exact history of April Fools’ Day is not entirely clear. However, some historians date April Fools’ Day back to the creation of the Gregorian Calendar in 1582.
Prior to the invention and widespread adoption of the Gregorian Calendar (Pope Gregory XIII humbly named the new calendar after himself) most medieval Europeans celebrated New Year's Day on March 25.
However, this threw a wrench into the dates of a popular medieval feast day called the Feast of Fools.
The Feast of Fools
Popularized in France but later widespread throughout Europe, the Feast of Fools was a weeklong celebration at the start of the new year full of pranks and mischief. Mock bishops and popes were elected, and lowborn and highborn jokingly swapped places in the societal pecking order for the week. Think of it as a medieval April Fools’ meets Mardi Gras.
But when the new calendar was adopted, not everyone got the memo that New Year's Day had moved. Some continued to celebrate the weeklong Feast of Fools on the old dates of March 25 to April 1. These folks were often mocked as "April Fools."
That’s not all, though. The Feast of Fools became intertwined with other feast days of the era, and hold on to your horses, because these feast days are about to get even weirder.
The Feast of the Ass
Historians also believe that another popular medieval feast day is intertwined with our modern April Fools: the Feast of the Ass.
And no, not that kind. The Ass in question refers to donkeys.
Celebrated on January 14, the Feast of the Ass was another feast day that gave commoners an excuse to get silly. This feast day honored the role donkeys play in the Bible, but primarily the one that carried the baby Jesus into Egypt.
Like the Feast of Fools, the Feast of Ass poked fun at nobility and clergy. In towns across Europe, young women rode donkeys through the town square with a baby in hand in simulation of Mary and Jesus’ exodus. They were brought to the local church where the donkey would bray behind the altar to crowds of parishioners. These ceremonies and rituals often had a comedic, tongue in cheek tone, simultaneously showing reverence while also playfully mocking religious rites and rituals.
The Feast of Fools and the Feast of the Ass are deeply intertwined, and historians say April Fools’ Day was likely borne, at least in part, from these two ceremonies.
Not weird enough? Let’s go deeper.
The Feast of the Circumcision
This may be the strangest feast day of them all. Celebrating the day Jesus was circumcised, the Feast of the Circumcision typically took place on January 1 – per Jewish tradition, eight days after his birth.
Less is known about how this feast day was celebrated in its day, but it is believed it was also a time of general mischief and mayhem. Over time, the Feast of Fools, the Feast of the Ass, and the Feast of the Circumcision became increasingly entangled, both because they all were celebrated with playful irreverence, but also because, following the calendar shift mentioned earlier, both the Feast of Fools and the Feast of the Circumcision fell on the same date.
Throughout the centuries, the playful tones of these celebrations, and the April 1 date, stayed in the public consciousness, even if these feast days fell out of favor throughout the centuries.
So if you get pranked this April Fools’ Day, you can blame ancient asses and circumcision celebrations!
47 comments
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
Interesting concepts I didn't know. Keeping the faith & blooming in knowledge & history of the sense of religion to modern day religion.. Ask me for a blessing in the future might be quite different.
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Raymond Walter Kilby
I find this all very interesting.. but I still don't understand the point.
Ok. April fools day on a calendar and it didn't change my feelings about anything it just a day on a calendar.
People think to much, want to much and most are just chasing their tails.
People all believe whatever they decide that's freewill.
There is no new sin.. people chase gold.. people hurt each other.
Life is not that complicated. Do unto others what you want them to do to you.
People don't care about anyone but themself.I wish you all the best with everything you are doing in your lives.. But man stop over thinking it.
There is opinions on everything including the birthday of Jesus.
Supposedly he was not even born on December 25th.. based on the fact Sheppard where out with their sheep at the time.What does it matter.. humans are not that smart if the bible has to put some really simple introduction in it.
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David Douglas Winters
Silly question. If he were never more than a losing Jewish rebel, he would never have remembered. But he IS remembered. Ergo he must have been far more than a losing Jewish rebel. I fact the little sect who followed him explosively grew to become the world’s dominant faith. We therefore conclude that Jesus had it together and YOU must be the insignificant rebel crank.😘
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
So you think that because there are a lot of poorly educated (scientifically speaking at a minimum), brainwashed from an early age, cognitively challenged, gullible individuals in the world that the rantings of Bronze Age, nomadic, desert goat herders must be right when they thought they could explain cosmic origins AND biogenesis in one fell swoop through the existence of a 6-day workweek, finger snapping, Mr. Magic even though these same goat herders couldn’t explain where the sun went at night. That pretty much covers it.
For the most part the religiously delusional pick up the REliGION from the REGION that they are born in, not because their is any inherent validity in the nonsense of their choice of religion.
Forrest Gump’s mama pretty much summed up religious people.
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Jannetje Eleanore Van Went
This is where Jesus gets confusing, so he was Jewish (if Mary is Jewish he is still Jewish under their conditions), but born in a country strictly run by paganism, he developed a religion, similar to Catholic (even though Catholic is not at all part of the country he is in) but he was Jewish and living in a strictly pagan run country. Literally Catholics did not take over the pagan rights for 2 leaders after Nero...now Jesus is Jewish and pagan, but never Catholic or Christian, Christianity is not allowed to take place for hundreds of years after Jesus' death...what is Jesus really other than a rebel who fought a king and lost in his death?!
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David Douglas Winters
Christians obtained the title “Christians” in the first century.
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Michael Dwayne Cooper
Christianity in its simplicity is the belief that you must receive Jesus as your savior to escape an eternity of torment.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Well, not really. It’s that the creator of the universe was pissed off at his creation. But he wanted to FORGIVE them. He struggled with the question and decided that the only way he could possibly forgive them was that if he visited a sleeping teenage virgin and impregnated her. (Note: Although considered rape, both then and now, god can do what he wants.) The now-deflowered virgin then gave birth to god in the form of his son so that god could sacrifice himself to himself by dying for a 3-day weekend and then ascending back into to heaven to sit with himself. THEN he could forgive the humans.
BUT unlike a human that forgives god had a condition on the forgiveness that humans had to believe the above little story. Otherwise, no forgiveness and he’s angry again and he’ll torture you forever. That’s how much god loves you. Pretty poor plan for a god capable of creating the entire universe.
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Michael Dwayne Cooper
The 3 Holidays discussed here had nothing to do with each other. This article is nothing more than misinformation. For an organization that claims to uphold all religious beliefs it sure seems bent on attacking Christianity.
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Tom Herman
Michael, Like the article infers, don't take yourself too seriously. You'll live happier and maybe even longer.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
Ew. The knowledge that some churches display an old dried up foreskin did not improve my day or my spiritual state. That's pretty gross.
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David Douglas Winters
You do know that foreskins we’re collected to exchange for combat bounty payments?
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Bradley G Booth
I think it’s all interesting but I subscribe to Karl Marx’s theory that religion is the opiate of the masses
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Farajallah Michael Yazbek
And what did Karl Marx say about FAITH? There's a difference between religion and faith. Communism, when it comes down to it, is a dogma, or religious belief. So he's exposing himself to folly with his words. Faith, however, comes from the heart as knowledge that there is, indeed, something out there bigger than us that will allow us rewards for good stewardship over the Earth.
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David Douglas Winters
Marx is dead. People go to Highgate cemetery just to urinate on his grave. Let’s just say he didn’t have the staying power of Christianity.
Marx was the opiate of fools.🤷🏻.
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Rev. BH
Adam, I'd like to see your sources for this information. Very different take on things.
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Adam Kahn
Jesus was never circumcised, it was a later add-on into the Scriptures, which was not matching with the real history. Jesus' real parents were not Jewish (Jesus' mother Mariam was from Parthia, a.k.a. Persia, and that's exactly what the Greek word "parthenos" really meant: "a young woman from Parthia"). His father was a high-level noble man from Parthia. Jesus' parents were not obeying to the Talmudic Laws, nor to the Mosaic Laws. Indeed, Joseph (Jesus' father-in-law or rather a legal guardian) was Jewish by birth, but not by faith, he was a member of the Essenes (of the subgroup Nazarenes), so was Jesus (from that comes his second name, The Nazarene, I repeat not "from Nazareth" which didn't exist at that time, but Jesus "The Nazarene" as Books of the Talmud correctly describe Him). The Essenes (particularly, the Nazarenes) were not practicing Mosaic Laws, their religion was much closer to Parthian (Persian) Zoroastrianism, which never practices circumcision. Therfore, Jesus was never circumcised. In other words, He was a Pagan.And if somebody would suddenly think "oh, nice 1st April joke" - no it was not a joke, look at the date when I posted it. In actuality it was the real (but still hidden) history of Jesus.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
This is really interesting. I'd like to read up on it, can you recommend some websites or books please? I've always thought that it would've made no sense for him to be circumcised, given that there was no need for a covenant between him and his father. Would have been a blatant statement of disbelief if they were adherents to that custom anyway.
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Farajallah Michael Yazbek
This reasoning is published by the Satanic Church to refute any of the works and histories/diaries kept in Constantinople, Rome and on Mt. Athos, which were written at the time of the events. Jesus, being a faithful Jew, raised by faithful parents, would have been circumcised upon his presentation to the Temple. St. Simeon uttered these words, which are still used by the Orthodox Christians when we leave a church: "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all people; a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel."
It commemorates Simeon's words in response to the promise from God that he would live to see the Messiah.
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Jesse Cheshire
There are NO writings about Jesus written at the time the supposed events took place.
None.
What "reasonings" are published by the "Satanic Church "? I'd be interested in reading them and having discourse with any such authors.
The Church of Satan, as the only entity I know of that can be considered a formally organized group, doesn't really publish any officially sanctioned works.
Thanks in Advance.
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David Douglas Winters
Sorry mate. You’re out of date. FIRST century manuscripts have been verified for some time. Maybe you just WANT to believe none exist.
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David Douglas Winters
If the history of Christ were hidden, then you’d never have heard of him.
If the history of Christ COULD be hidden, it WOULD have been hidden, and nobody would ever have heard of him, and the term Christianity would not even exist, much less the religion under that name.
If our story of Christ is false, then the subject is not worth pursuing, because the story we know is the only story that achieved greatness because it was the only story that deserved greatness.
Pursuit of any secret alternative is mere chasing of our own tails/tales.
Just accept that you’ve wasted your time and find a better cause to pursue. Spending your life trying to spread second rate mystery narratives is doomed to irrelevant insignificance.
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Jesse Cheshire
Oh please. Your Jesus-Messiah story is plainly a bastardized version of plenty of much older mythologies.
"achieved greatness, because it's the only one that deserved greatness" - by murdering, burning, drowning and crushing under rocks, those of true religions that came before it.
Get over yourself.
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David Douglas Winters
Fortunately, I am not responsible for your lack of discernment. Some of us are chosen to understand. Some of us are not. Apparently you ain’t chosen.
Gods kindness is demonstrated by the fact that nobody except yourself is responsible for your ability to discern the overwhelming evidence.
My only responsibility is to inform you, not persuade you. After that, the ball is in your court.
So if you with your limited perception, discernment, and education, but abundance of smart lip and primitive vocabulary somehow think that rude smack talk can carry the day, it’s no skin off my nose.
I will continue to make simple logical statements of observed facts and experience gathered for decades under conditions you undoubtedly cannot imagine.
But for gods sake don’t come back with that worn out old contention that I speak without knowing anything about you. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to know that you’re merely another of the essentially identical, semi-educated, little experienced, know-it-all, smack-talking kiddy cars that many of us have observed in excruciating detail for decades.
Your biggest weak spot is disrespect for experience and knowledge. It makes you entertainingly presumptuous.mostly because we pay no price for it. It’s all charged to your personal bill. And if you don’t figure out how have that bill absorbed or nullified, well again, it’s no skin off watashi hana.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Watashi hana???? I nose? You mean ‘My Nose’? That would be ‘Watashi-no hana. (私の鼻)b Or perhaps 僕の花.
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David Douglas Winters
Comment removed by user.
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David Douglas Winters
“Were”
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David Douglas Winters
“Me nose”. I’m a sailor.
But ya made me grin anyway.
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Rev. BH
DRS, I found a different take. Nothing to do with "a big con".
"Twain’s biggest beef with Christianity was not about its core teachings, but with the failure of humans to practice what they preach. Indeed, Twain seemed at his angriest when people misused religion to justify violence, personal gain and mistreatment of the poor and oppressed."
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Douglas Robert Spindler
"Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool" - Mark Twain
And Mark Twain was very religious believing in God, attended church and even donated money for the construction of a church. That was until he found out religion was just one big con.
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Yanel Jay Laroche Jr.
Christians are not supposed to tell a lie nor fool anyone according to the Holy Bible in Revelation 22:15 and in Revelation 21:8.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
That's a lie.
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David Douglas Winters
Yet God told Moses to lie, and Moses obeyed. And God told the Jewish midwives to lie, and they obeyed. And at AI the Israelites deceived the city so as to rush them from behind.
So, we must conclude that you are smugly sanctimonious but without justification. Why would anyone of wisdom pay attention to your words? You are an embarrassment to the faithful.
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Reverend Paula Copp
I knew about the change in date for the 1st of the year, but I had no idea it was religious…
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Rev A.Sharma
I am rev. avi sharma and i would like to inform you that april fools is super duper funny but also religious
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Rev. Roe
Nicholas J Page I agree with you.Nothing heard at 85 years. What’s next?
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David Douglas Winters
Never too old to learn. Never to young to choose ignorance. 😇😅
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Jesse Cheshire
I agree. This is all misinformation. It has the feel of typical Catholic Behavior in claiming that all practices are actually Catholic holidays and observance.
They have done it with all of paganism.
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Nicholas J Page
Well i never heard it called religious and i have been on this earth for 66 years.
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David Douglas Winters
Get in the stick, young whippersnapper. I’ve been aware of the connection for longer than you have lived.🤭😇
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Rev A.Sharma
Thank you, David Douglas Winters someone who finally agrees!!😁😁😂😘.. oops wrong emoji!
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Rev A.Sharma
Well... David Douglas Winters, I have checked your facebook and I see that you believe you're older than everybody... that comes to an end, I am older.
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Rev A.Sharma
Well... David Douglas Winters, I have checked your facebook and I see that you believe you're older than everybody... that comes to an end, I am older.
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Rev A.Sharma
Well... David Douglas Winters, I have checked your facebook and I see that you believe you're older than everybody... that comes to an end, I am older.
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Rev A.Sharma
Well... David Douglas Winters, I have checked your facebook and I see that you believe you're older than everybody... that comes to an end, I am older.
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Rev A.Sharma
Well... David Douglas Winters, I have checked your facebook and I see that you believe you're older than everybody... that comes to an end, I am older.
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Rev A.Sharma
Well... David Douglas Winters, I have checked your facebook and I see that you believe you're older than everybody... that comes to an end, I am older.
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Ahhh,but you forget about is there's 2 sides to have balance,you put all the responsibilities all on the good lords name when in fact Satan can manipulate the purest of hearts and weak minded. Jesus is your key to salvation.