Last Updated on March 31, 2021
Each April, we debate whether the first day of the month should be written as “April Fool’s Day” or “April Fools’ Day.”
The correct way to write it is as a plural possessive, meaning that the apostrophe goes after the s.
The day itself traces its origins to the 16th century, when Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar — the one we use today — that moved New Year’s Day from April 1st to January 1st. Those who hadn’t heard about the change, as well as those who stubbornly ignored it, were referred to as April Fools, and were often the butt of jokes.
There’s an easy way to remember whether it should be plural or not: just consider how many “fools” there are in the world. That should eliminate any doubt as to whether you should refer to more than one.
I hope you have a Happy April Fools’ Day, and that you aren’t the victim of a prankster. (Being the prankster is a lot more fun!)