It fooled the world's media, but Volkswagen says it won't actually be changing the name of its U.S. unit to 'Voltswagen' after all, saying it was just a marketing stunt to draw attention to its electric vehicles. Julian Satterthwaite reports. Q: How did the tradition of pranks on April Fools Day start? J.L. Answer: The origins of April Fools Day, which is today, are unclear. There were earlier celebrations along the same lines, including the Hilaria festival in ancient Rome that reveled in the joys of pranks and jokes. One common story is that April Fools Day as we know it today came about in France during the mid-16th century.