The custom of fooling friends and relatives on the first of April began in the late 1500's in which country? Holland, France, or Italy?

The origins of this prank-filled holiday can be traced back to a significant calendar reform in 16th-century France. Before 1564, the new year was widely celebrated in the week leading up to April 1st, coinciding with the spring equinox. That year, King Charles IX issued the Edict of Roussillon, which officially moved the start of the year to January 1st. This decision was part of a larger shift across Europe that would eventually be standardized by the Gregorian calendar.

In an age without instant communication, news of the change traveled slowly, and many people in rural areas either didn't hear about the new law or stubbornly refused to accept it. Those who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st were considered old-fashioned and became the butt of jokes. Friends (Review) and relatives would play tricks on them, sending them on "fool's errands" or inviting them to fake New Year's parties.

This practice evolved into the French custom of "poisson d’avril" (April fish), where a common prank was to try and tape a paper fish onto someone's back without them noticing. The fish symbolized a young, gullible person who