April Fooling Around and Finding Out

The origin of this month’s name is uncertain—it could be from Latin aperire, “to open” (as flowers), or from aprilis: “the following” or “next,” referring to its place as the second month of the old Roman calendar. It has also been attributed to Apru, an Etruscan word for the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The Saxons called it Éastermónað in honor of Eostre/Easter, goddess of dawn, spring, and the east.