Where did April Fools' come from? Here's the history, origin and some April Fools' Day deals
The day that some pranksters look forward to all year long is here. It's April Fools' Day!
April Fools' Day is an unofficial holiday centered around pulling pranks on your friends and family that falls on the first day of April each year. No one knows for certain how or where the holiday truly began, but there are some theories.
Another fun, lesser-known thing about April Fools' Day, is that it brings freebies with it. A few chain restaurants have some April Fools' Day-only deals this year. Do you dare to trust them?
Here's the history of April Fools' Day and which restaurants are running April Fools' Day price cuts instead of pranks today.
Yes! Today, Tuesday, April 1, isn't just the first of the month – it's April Fools' Day 2025.
Someone pull a fast one on you today? How April Fools' Day got started and why
According to the Encyclopedia of American Folklore, the exact origins of April Fools' Day are uncertain – it most likely comes from multiple sources.
April Fools' Day is most often attributed to France's switch from the Julian calendar, to the Gregorian calendar in the 1500s, according to The Library of Congress and the History Channel.
'In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1,' the History Channel says.
'People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called 'April fools.''
Another potential origin is a New Year's tradition from the Middle Ages called the 'Feast of Fools,' which predates France's switch to the Gregorian Calendar.
In medieval churches, hierarchy was inverted every New Year's Day and lower members of the clergy would swap duties with the higher-ranking priests and bishops. Outside of the church doors, chaotic celebrations would carry on. You might recognize this idea from Disney's 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' movie.
'Officially banned in the 15th century, the Feast of Fools had its origins 300 years before, in the 1100s, and continued as a tradition well into the 16th century,' Atlas Obscura says.
'It was memorialized in church documents condemning its excesses and in paintings depicting streets full of merry chaos. It appears in Victor Hugo's famous 19th century novel, 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame,' when Quasimodo is swept up in the festivities and crowned King of Fools.'
Another theory says that April Fools' Day could have gotten its start in ancient Rome, with Hilaria, which was a day of joy marking the end of an annual festival that honored the goddess Cybele.
These aren't the only April Fools' Day origin stories and legends, but they're among the most popular and well-known.
April Fools' Day freebies: Dunkin' has free coffee, more deals from Burger King, Cheesecake Factory
April Fools' Day is commonly misspelled as 'April Fool's Day.'
If you're trying to keep from looking like a fool (pun intended) in your Instagram or TikTok caption today, stick with the plural possessive version when you're spelling it out. After all, it isn't just a day for one fool — it's a day for all of them!
If you're looking to soften the blow of being the butt of someone's joke today, there are some April Fools' Day deals that might ease the pain.
Dunkin', Burger King and Cheesecake Factory are all celebrating with price cuts for their rewards members, instead of pranks.
Here's a list of April Fools' Day 2025 deals to cash in on:
Free Dunkin' coffee for rewards members - 'Do you trust us? Because you definitely should,' Dunkin's April Fools Day Instagram post said. According to the post, today only, Dunkin' Rewards members can open their rewards app and enter promo code 'ThisIsNotAJoke' for a free hot or iced coffee of any size (offer good while supplies last).
Free onion rings for Burger King rewards members - Burger King Royal Perks loyalty program members can get a free order of any size onion rings with a purchase of $1 or more on April Fools' Day only. To get the deal, you have to order with the Burger King app or online.
Mystery freebie with Cheesecake Factory loyalty program - Cheesecake Factory's loyalty program members have a free mystery reward waiting on them in their app today, which can be anything from a free slice of cheesecake with your purchase, to one free slice per month for the rest of 2025, to discounts or dine-in credits of up to $25. Anyone who signs up for Cheesecake Factory's loyalty program today, April 1, will get the 'Slice, Slice Baby' reward, which is a free slice when you buy one to either dine-in or take out.
Personalized Oreos at half-off: No loyalty program membership required for this one. If you have a graduation, birthday or any celebration coming up soon, you can save on a unique (and edible) custom party favor today only. Oreo is giving customers 50% off on personalized OreoID cookies ordered Tuesday from the Oreo website. Just use code APRIL by midnight on Tuesday, April 1.
Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY; Michelle Spitzer, Florida Today
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: April Fools' Day origins, history and a list of freebies today
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