April Fools' Day and Apple Company Day: what else is celebrated on April 1
Kyiv • UNN
On April 1, the world celebrates April Fools' Day, the ecological holiday of birds, and the anniversary of Apple. They also honor the memory of Mary of Egypt, who helps to obtain forgiveness from the Lord.
Today, April 1, one of the most expensive companies in the world, "Apple", celebrates its 49th anniversary. This day also marks April Fool's Day - an opportunity to make a good joke or prank on friends and acquaintances, writes UNN.
Day of Laughter / April Fool's Day
The custom of having fun, joking and deceiving each other on April 1 exists in many countries, but it is difficult to say where it came from.
There is a version that the celebration of April 1 was initiated in India and Ancient Rome as the day of the vernal equinox. On this occasion, festivities were held to appease nature with jokes and get good, sunny weather. According to another version, the custom of joking on April 1 is associated with the transfer of the date of the New Year celebration. So, until the second half of the XVI century, the European New Year was celebrated on April 1. Later, when the holiday was officially moved to January 1, those who continued to celebrate it on April 1 were ridiculed and called "April fools." In the 18th century, when the holiday became widely known and popular, it gradually came to Ukraine.
On April Fool's Day (also known as International Day of Laughter), it is traditional to play pranks on relatives, friends and acquaintances, or to joke about them in a good way.
Day of Mary of Egypt
On April 1, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Mary of Egypt, who is considered an assistant in the repentance of sins and helps to obtain forgiveness from the Lord.
Saint Mary, called the Egyptian, lived in Alexandria in the V-VI centuries. At the age of 12, she left home and became known throughout the city as a prostitute. For 17 years, Mary adhered to a promiscuous lifestyle. Once, while in Jerusalem, Mary decided to enter the Temple of the Lord out of curiosity, but an invisible force did not allow her to cross the threshold. Realizing that her sins were not allowing her into the temple, Mary began to pray to the icon of the Mother of God there, after which she was able to enter the temple. After this incident, she settled in the Jordanian desert and spent 47 years there in complete solitude, fasting and prayer.
Shortly before her death, a monk met her in the desert, to whom Mary told about her life and proved by her example that any person can receive forgiveness if he sincerely repents.
International Bird Day
April 1 marks an environmental holiday dedicated to honoring birds. It was founded by Charles Almanzo Babcock, superintendent of Oil City schools, in 1894. Babcock's goal was to promote the conservation of birds as a moral value. On this day in 1902, eleven European countries signed the International Convention for the Protection of Birds Useful to Agriculture. During 1906-1932, it was ratified in various countries around the world. It is believed that this event became the reason for celebrating International Bird Day.
Traditionally, Bird Day is not only the anniversary of the Convention, but also the time of the return of birds from the warm lands. Usually at this time, feeders, birdhouses, hollows, etc. are hung up. The return of birds is also celebrated as the arrival of spring.
"Apple" Company Day
"Apple" was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976. Today it is the largest and most expensive company in the information technology industry. However, the company's first personal computer, which was created by Steve Wozniak, sold for $666.66. Wozniak later said that he chose that price because he liked repeating numbers. It was this computer that became the basis for future "apple" devices. In 2025, on its 49th anniversary, Apple's profit was $112.26 billion.
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Edible Book Day (International Edible Book Festival)
The holiday was initiated by Beatrice Coron and Judith Hoffberg in 2000 to unite all fans of books, publishers, writers, illustrators and librarians. They gather together and recreate popular dishes in the form of "edible books", which are photographed, discussed, and then eaten. In this way, book lovers can simultaneously enjoy both the art of book publishing and the skill of chefs. Awards are traditionally given in such categories as "most creative book", "least edible book", "best taste", "most delicious-looking book", etc.