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Anonymous asked in Society & CultureReligion & Spirituality · 1 decade ago

Why do Christians celebrate April Fool's Day?

They're always saying that it's the atheists' holiday, so why do they celebrate it?

Update:

(((Wifey and Frenzy)))

Update 2:

(((Rachel)))

21 Answers

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  • Rach-El
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Well, I'm a Christian AND a fool so I get the best of both worlds!

    ((((Zilla))))

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Uh, actually it's a French holiday that was made up to ridicule people who still used the Julian calendar after the switch over the the Gregorian.

    Basically the beginning of the year moved from what is now 1st April to 1st January but some people were adamant about celebrating New Year in April and were called April fish (apparently relating to the position of the Sun and the Zodiac). These people would be the subject of pranks usually related to planting fish upon them in some manner. The prank part spread across Europe as April Fools.

    Secular, but in no way atheistic. ;)

  • Jan G
    1 decade ago

    Christianity is a large subsection of people. I believe there are Christians who believe that April Fools Day is a day for atheists, and don't celebrate it. Others celebrate it, and don't think it's an atheists' day. (Others kind of feel it is an atheists day, but they also want to have some fun, so they end up celebrating it anyways. I guess those people are kind of undecided on the issue.)

  • in a handbasket
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    According to the Simpsons, the best source of religious information that I know, pagans celebrated the new year on April 1, as its spring and the beginning of the life cycle. Christians decided it was better to us January 1, as they are a cold lot who think winter is the best.

    Source(s): Feeling a little snarky this morning! Sorry christians.
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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Incidentally, April Fools Day is geographically inequitable. Some people are unfoolable by others as the 12 noon condition has expired before it has become April 1st for the would-be fools.

  • Purdey EP
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    I didn't know it was the atheists' holiday. I like messing with peoples' minds is why I celebrate it.

  • kr_toronto
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    The reason we (as Atheists) celebrate it is because WE are the ones who changed it - from a cruel and hate-filled excuse to mock those who DIDN'T change the date of their new year celebration - to the silly practical jokes we have today...

    "Blood for Ba'al, Blood for Ba'al"

    "Here's some ram's blood for your godless ceremony"

    I'm just picturing the Simpson Family dressed as Pagans - and the Flanders as their usual Christian selves:

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/9f17...

    "Now who's laughing, Now who's laughing..."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_It%27s_Come_to_Thi...

    ;););););)

    Source(s): "Europe may have derived its April-fooling from the French. French and Dutch references from 1508 and 1539 respectively describe April Fools' Day jokes and the custom of making them on the first of April. France was one of the first nations to make January 1 officially New Year's Day (which was already celebrated by many), by decree of Charles IX. This was in 1564, even before the 1582 adoption of the Gregorian calendar (See Julian start of the year). Thus the New Year's gifts and visits of felicitation which had been the feature of the 1st of April became associated with the first day of January, and those who disliked or did not hear about the change were fair game for those wits who amused themselves by sending mock presents and paying calls of pretended ceremony on the 1st of April. In France the person fooled is known as poisson d'avril (April fish). This has been explained as arising from the fact that in April the sun quits the zodiacal sign of the fish. The French traditionally celebrated this holiday by placing dead fish on the backs of friends. Today, real fish have been replaced with sticky, fish-shaped paper cut-outs that children try to sneak onto the back of their friends' shirts. Candy shops and bakeries also offer fish-shaped sweets for the holiday." Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day
  • Machaira
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    Why do non-Christians generalize everything about Christians? :D

    I've never said "it's the atheists' holiday" and I don't "celebrate" it.

  • MCSHughes
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    "Christians" don't celebrate April Fools Day.

    WHO says it's an atheist's holiday? I'm much older than you, have lived around the world, and never heard that.

  • cheir
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    There was a good one in the UK today - a newspaper picture of flying penguins - looked very realistic.

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