<P> April Fools' Day is an annual celebration in some European and Western countries commemorated on April 1 by playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes . The jokes and their victims are called April fools . People playing April Fool jokes often expose their prank by shouting "April fool (s)" at the unfortunate victim (s). Some newspapers, magazines and other published media report fake stories, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in smaller letters . Although popular since the 19th century, the day is not a public holiday in any country . </P> <P> Aside from April Fools' Day, the custom of setting aside a day for the playing of harmless pranks upon one's neighbour has historically been relatively common in the world . </P> <P> A disputed association between April 1 and foolishness is in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1392). In the "Nun's Priest's Tale", a vain cock Chauntecleer is tricked by a fox on Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two . Readers apparently understood this line to mean "32 March", i.e. April 1 . However, it is not clear that Chaucer was referencing April 1 . Modern scholars believe that there is a copying error in the extant manuscripts and that Chaucer actually wrote, Syn March was gon . If so, the passage would have originally meant 32 days after March, i.e. 2 May, the anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, which took place in 1381 . </P> <P> In 1508, French poet Eloy d'Amerval referred to a poisson d'avril (April fool, literally "Fish of April"), possibly the first reference to the celebration in France . In the Middle Ages, New Year's Day was celebrated on March 25 in most European towns . In some areas of France, New Year's was a week - long holiday ending on April 1 . Some writers suggest that April Fools' originated because those who celebrated on January 1 made fun of those who celebrated on other dates . The use of January 1 as New Year's Day was common in France by the mid-16th century, and this date was adopted officially in 1564 by the Edict of Roussillon . </P>

What is the actual meaning of april fool