April Fools Day: Its Christian History Finally Uncovered
It’s widely known that Mardi Gras, Halloween and other “secular” celebrations have their roots in ancient Christian history. What many have never heard, however, is the religious roots of April Fool’s Day.
In approximately 312 AD., a little-known saint named Aprilius lived in Rome and was attributed a stream of strange miracles. St. Aprilius lived in a part of Rome full of citizens that refused to convert to Christianity and prided themselves on being atheists.
On April 1 that year, when Constantine adopted Christianity as Rome’s official religion, reports flooded out of the entire neighborhood where St. Aprilius lived of practical hijinks that were unexplainable. Everyone but St Aprilius woke up to find their furniture had been rearranged in the night; some found all their flour turned green; others complained of their shoes becoming both lefts; still others ran out of the houses with their hair re- placed with chicken feathers. Over the doorway of each non-christian’s house was a brand that read “Psalm 14:1”
(“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’”).
‘That day, more than 100 people came to St. Aprilius’ house to be converted. The tradition continued and spread each year. By 342 AD., April Fool’s Day became an official Christian celebration, a time of playing pranks on atheists and agnostics. Over the years, the Christian lore behind the holiday has all but been forgotten, but the pranks and jokes played on that day still symbolize the timeless biblical truth of the quotable psalm.
– RELEVANT, pg. 10.
2ProphetU is an online magazine/website, started by Warren Wiersbe and Michael Catt, to build up the church, seek revival, and encourage pastors.
