On April 1st it is a favorite tactic of people to tell innocent lies for the purpose of satire and laughter.

It is a long-standing custom adopted even by the News Media, which is used every year on this day to publish an untrue news story as a well-intentioned prank to the readership.

But where does this popular custom come from and when did it start?

There are three versions. According to the first version, the custom traces its origin to the ancient Celts, who every year at this time went fishing because the weather conditions improved. Although most of the time the fishermen returned empty-handed, they lied about taking home lots of big fish, a funny habit that one could say clearly continues to this day.

The second version takes us to medieval France, when around 1560 King Charles IX decided to move the start of the calendar year from April 1st to January 1st, something that in other countries had already taken effect.

A fact, however, that the people did not like, since as usually happens with big changes, at the beginning there are reactions as the habit is a big deal and the reversal, regardless of whether it is positive or negative, is not easily accepted. Back then, according to French folklore, those of the king’s subjects who had no problem with the calendar change mocked those who, out of reaction, still celebrated the New Year every April 1st. This had the later effect of turning April Fools’ Day from a day of celebration and change of time into a day of pranks and mockery.

According to the third and last version that is widely spread, the custom comes from the Byzantine era and more specifically from the period when Constantine the Great was at the helm of the empire. According to a 1983 article in the Associated Press, April Fool’s Day was established as a day of prank lies from trivial events that took place when a jester took power for a day in Byzantium under Constantine.

However, Greek folkloric tradition believes that April Fool’s lies exorcise evil. Of course, the belief that those who successfully lie on April Fool’s Day will be lucky for the whole year and, on the contrary, those who are deceived and fall victim will have a year full of setbacks and misfortunes is also popular.