APRIL 1st: ALL FOOLS' DAY
The Roman festival of Hilaria is believed to be a predecessor to this day, and was yet another holiday that featured sacrifices to pagan gods and goddesses.
"In honor of [the Greek goddess] Venus, a feast of deception was celebrated in the spring. April 1 was her special day, and that is the reason why she was also called ‘Aprilis.’ The name of the Indian goddess of love, ‘Maja,’ has the meaning of ‘deception.'” (from eternalgod.org)
The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, by James Hastings, points out:
“The origin of the practice is obscure… it was widely prevalent at the close of the 16th century. It seems difficult, therefore, to accept the theory that it was due to the transference of New Year’s Day from the First of April to the First of January… The similarity of the fooling in India and the Celtic lands of Western Europe, taken together with affinities in religion and folklore… points to a common origin in very early times… The First of April was kept in ancient Rome as the Feast of Venus and Fortuna Virilis… It is to some Celtic form of this worship of Venus on the First of April that the origin of All Fools’ Day must be traced… All Fools’ Day may therefore be the relic of a Spring Festival of Llew [a Sun-god of Celtic mythology].”
"Even though the roots of April Fool’s Day may not be known precisely, the evidence strongly indicates that it is of pagan origin and that it was even celebrated as part of pagan worship services. We are told, however, in Jeremiah 10:2-3, that we are not to learn the ways of the Gentiles, as they are useless and in vain. In addition, God condemns foolish jesting in Ephesians 5:4, where we read, in the Authorized Version, that neither “foolish talking, nor jesting” should be named among us.
We are admonished in God’s Word not to behave like “fools.” Proverbs 10:23 reads, in the AV: “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.”
An additional warning against participating in April Fool’s Day celebrations and activities can be found in Proverbs 26:18-19: “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, ‘I was only joking!'”" (from eternalgod.org)
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