By keely aouga
Every year on Apr. 1, countries around the world celebrate April Fool’s Day, a time meant for playing practical jokes.
These jokes might include misleading friends by telling them that their shoelaces are untied or sending them on so-called fools’ errands. The list of pranks is endless.
Amid all of the fun, there remains uncertainty regarding the origin of the holiday.
Some people think the idea of April Fool's Day goes back to classical Roman times when a joyful festival called Hilaria was celebrated on Mar. 25.
Hilaria was celebrated by Ancient Romans with joy, cheering and games in honor of the mother of the gods, Cybele.
Another common theory suggests that April Fool's Day dates back to the reign of Emperor Constantine.
According to this story, a group of jesters convinced Constantine to make one of them "king for a day." Constantine agreed and declared that it would be a day of celebration.
However, it was later revealed that this theory was a prank created by a Boston University professor that made its way into the Associated Press.
Others have suggested that the timing of the day may be related to the spring equinox, a time when people are fooled by sudden changes in the weather.
Regardless of its origin, the tradition of pranking someone spans from the U.S. to Lebanon.