Want to put a damper on someone’s sickeningly sweet spring fever?

Why don’t you toilet paper their lawn – and turn on the sprinklers. Or maybe you could set all your roommates’ clocks back an hour.

There’s really only one time of year when you can do things like these and not be blackballed as a jerk prankster, and that’s April Fool’s Day.

People playing practical jokes on April 1 can be traced back to the 16th century, according to The World Holiday Book by Anneli Rufus.

April 1 was once considered the start of the new year because the spring equinox happens around that time. New Year’s Day was moved to January 1 when Charles IX of France adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1561.

The problem lay in informing the rest of the country. The news traveled very slowly, and the people that continued to celebrate the new year on April 1 were called fools.

The fools were often ridiculed and made the butt of jokes. The custom became widely recognized in England during the 18th century.

The English, Scots and French introduced the custom to their colonies in America.

“One of our forefathers’ favorite jokes was to send someone on a fool’s errand. For example, one might have been asked to go out and obtain a copy of The History of Adam’s Grandfather or bring back some ‘sweet vinegar,'” Rufus said.

Many countries have their own variations of April Fool’s Day.

In Scotland, the holiday lasts for two days, and the second day is called Taily Day.

The goal of the pranks on this day is to pull pranks involving the buttocks, giving rise to the “kick me” sign.

Mexico’s version of the holiday was born out of a solemn day of observance.

El Dia de los Inocentes falls on Dec. 28 and used to be a day for Christians to mourn the slaughter of innocent children by Herod.

Somehow, the nature of the holiday evolved from sadness to good-natured tricks.

April Fool’s pranks are a long-standing tradition and one of the pillars of SMU spirit is tradition. With that said, you’d better go check on your car.