Why is the 1st of April "Fools Day"?

When the Christians first encountered Pagans, they were celebrating a festival on the first of April that was very similar to Christmas. The Christians would give them mocking gifts, calling the Pagans "April Fools" - until the Pagans slaughtered them and ate their brains.


Many a civilization in Europe celebrated the beginning of the new year on the first day of the first month of spring, which is April in the Gregorian calendar (Nissan in the Jewish calendar). When Christians decided to celebrate the beginning of their year in January this set them apart from their pagan neighbors, friends, and relatives. The Christians considered this an advancement to civilization, thus referred to people who didn't share the practice as "April fools", until the pagans killed the Christians and ate their brains.


Brewer's Phrase and Fable agrees and offers another account which refers to the Roman Cerealia, held at the beginning of April. The story is that Proserpina was sporting in the Elysian meadows, and had just filled her lap with daffodils, when Pluto carried her off to the lower world. Her mother, Ceres, heard the echo of her screams, and went in search of the voice. Her search, however, was a fool's errand; it was 'hunting the gowk' (Scottish for cuckoo) or looking for an echo of a scream. In any event, it was actually the screams of the Christians as the Pagans slaughtered them and ate their brains.