According to legend, April Fools' Day originated from a well-known Greek myth.
The goddess of agriculture, Demeter, was a well-known deity in Greece. She had immense power that could make the land fertile and bountiful or cause fields to wither and all life to perish. Among the gods, she was one of the most revered goddesses. Zeus, the king of the gods, was her brother and also her husband. Just this status alone was enough for all the gods to bow before her. However, the life of this powerful goddess was not perfect. Zeus, using his position as the god-king, pursued many affairs, causing endless troubles for Demeter. The only thing that brought her joy was her daughter Persephone, a smart, beautiful, innocent, and lively girl. With her, no one would feel sad or sorrowful.
One day, Hades, the god of the underworld, was driving through Sicily when he was seen by Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, who was walking in the clouds. Also caught in her view were Persephone and her companions, the goddess of war Athena and the goddess of hunting Artemis. Seeing these people, Aphrodite became furious. These people never talked about love or marriage; did they have any respect for her position as the goddess of love? Athena and Artemis were known for their chastity and were famous for their martial prowess and great powers in the divine realm. It was better not to provoke them. But for this young girl, Persephone, there was no need to be polite. So, the goddess with a sacred halo, Aphrodite, called her son, the little god of love Eros, and said, "Look at how these people treat love. If both humans and gods followed their example, how could we rule this world? Come on, shoot a golden arrow at Hades, making him fall deeply in love with Persephone!"
Eros was an expert archer. He drew his bow and shot an invisible arrow of desire straight into Hades' heart. Then, he followed Aphrodite, leaving to watch the show. Indeed, after being hit by the arrow, Hades fell deeply in love with Persephone. But he knew very well that this famous beauty would never willingly leave the bright land and sky to follow him to the dark underworld. Therefore, he approached his brother, the king of the gods Zeus, and asked him to arrange the marriage of his daughter to the underworld. "Well... I can't make that decision," the ruler of the gods thought, "You know, Demeter is very difficult to deal with. However, if you can manage to steal Persephone away, I won't object." With the king's tacit approval and hint, Hades was delighted and immediately returned to the underworld to prepare for the kidnapping.
