Nobody seems to know why April 1, or All Fools Day, became a day to turn the world upside down, or to at least joke about it.
There are references to such a day of hilarity during this time of the year, in Roman, Hebrew, Persian, and Hindi cultures.
That is a large part of the world, consolidated and connected, beginning with Alexander.
The change of calendars that happened centuries after the day was already observed, may have attributed to the day's popularity, and may be one reason why this ancient tradition didn't get swept away as many Medieval days did.
While the Medieval calendar was full of special days, we know about a few.
When the New Year changed from around April 1 to January 1, many countries adopted the change in different years. The confusion between what governments observed and what countryside folk knew, can certainly be imagined in an age when few could read.
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