The celebration itself dates back to Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Usermaatre Amennohope of the 21st Dynasty.
A mural found on the wall of his tomb (seen below) shows what is believed to be the very first Fooling.
Below it, a Haiku written in Kanji (with translation)
It is no competition,
When tied together.’
The Haiku is believed to be a later addition and it is unknown why or how the scroll found it’s way to Japan, or just what significance it has other than perhaps some sort of humorous drawing similar to the He-Gassen War scrolls.
In the Christian religion, the day is sometimes referred to as 'All Fools Day'
In an archive of the Vatican’t a codex was found (now believed to be a hoax by Protestants)
describing a vision of one Pope Notso Pius the VI. In it he claimed to have seen on April first in the year of our Lord 314,159 A.R.S.E. (Adam’s Rib Sourced Eve), God creating woman as a prank on Adam, and originally coined the phrase “I pity the Fool’.
He further stated the Tree of Knowledge was also begun as a joke but spun way out of control when Satan wanted in on it.
Pope Notso Pius the VI, needless to say, was not elected into Sainthood and his name sponged from the annuls of time....as this soon will be.
Anyway, HERE is the real history of April Fool’s Day according to Wikipedia.
As long as your pranks are harmless, go have some fun with it!
Still looking for the picture of the ancient Chinese scroll?
There isn't one....April Fool! :)
(Oh, and my apologies to anyone I may have offended in the above. It is all meant in good fun.)