There are quite a few nations today having in their calendar the April 1st Fools Day. For better or worse, we, Bulgarians, are among them. Generally, when somebody has been fooled once, they would not buy it the second time around. Is that so indeed?
The origin of Fools Day is not clear but one of the stories has it that it started around the year 1582 in France, with the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar.
The custom of fooling a friend or a relative comes from ancient times. It was connected to holidays such as the Hilaria in Rome (celebrated March 25th) and the Huli in India (celebrated March 31st).
Most probably the date was connected to the vernal Equinox when Nature is "fooling us" around - now it is sunny and warm, the next minuteit is raining and cold.
April 1st was declared a Fools Day by the International Radio Broadcasting Organization, which has been later transformed into the European Radio and TV Organization, on a special occasion taking place in 1970.
In Bulgaria, the town of Gabrovo is hosting the unique Humor and Satire Center, which has been often referred to as a true "Louvre of Laughter". Opened on the Fools day of April 1st, 1972, the Gabrovos Humor and Satire Center has been hosting unique exhibitions in its ten exhibition halls and exhibiting a rich permanent exhibition of a collection of jokes and humor items by nations and authors all over the world, gathered throughout its 30 years of existence.