Prank Time! April Fools' Day Is Almost Here
Language
Reading Level
Listen to Article
Alignment

For pranksters, no holiday tops April Fools' Day. Celebrated annually on April 1, it is the one day of the year when lighthearted tricks are not just accepted — they are welcomed. The origin of this fun tradition is unclear. Some believe it began in 1582 when the world moved from the Julian calendar — which started the new year around April 1 — to the Gregorian calendar. Others think it began as a way to celebrate the arrival of spring.
Regardless of its origin, April Fools’ Day is celebrated worldwide. Even companies join in with elaborate pranks that fool people for hours or even days. Here are a few of our favorites from past years.
Virgin Australia's "Kids Class" cabin
In 2016, Virgin Australia announced the introduction of a “Kids Class” cabin. The adult-free zone offered perks like seats designed for kids to easily kick the one in front. Also included was a special teddy bear to provide comfort. The young passengers could even play hopscotch down the aisles to burn off excess energy. The only catch? This exciting news was revealed on April Fools’ Day!
Box Shoe by Adidas
Adidas is known for its innovative sneakers, but none were as unusual as the Box Shoe unveiled in 2024. Shaped like a shoebox, it featured a cut-out with a flap, forming the opening and tongue, along with thick laces stitched on top. To make the concept convincing, the company even created a product page on its website. The only clue that it was a hoax? The product code: AF0104 — a nod to April Fools' Day, April 1.
BBC's spaghetti harvest
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was the first television network to stage an April 1 prank. In 1957, its popular current affairs show, Panorama, aired a special segment. It claimed that a mild winter and the eradication of the harmful spaghetti weevil had led to a record spaghetti harvest. The episode featured women joyfully picking long pasta strands from trees. Many viewers believed the hoax and called in, eager to learn how to grow their own spaghetti trees. They were told to "stick a dry piece of pasta in a can of tomato sauce and keep their fingers crossed."
Burger King's single fry
In 2016, fast-food giant Burger King's French division announced a new menu item — a carefully-wrapped single fry. To accommodate hungry diners, the offering came in three sizes: small, medium, and large. Luckily, for French fry lovers, it was just an April Fools' prank!
Happy Fools' Day!
Resources: footwearnews.com, BBC.com, CNN.com, USmagazine.com
Cite Article
Learn Keywords in this Article
44 Comments
- basucycotawo3 monthsMy sister's birthday is on April 1 and that is so cool. 😎
- bestboi3 monthsfr it the best!
- bestboi3 monthsso funny🤣🤣🤣
- bestboi3 monthsput wrap on toilet bowl dad went crazy! 🤣
- dirypowufonu3 monthsnice
- abbyluvsu3 monthsI pranked my friends and told them that I was leaving the school and they just said ok😞when I told them it was a prank they was all over me like I have tea to spill and started talking about normal girl stuff..NOW I KNOW I HAVE FAKE FRIENDS!!
- thewatcher20003 monthsMy mom walked into shrinkwrap.😂
- larryman3 monthsI gave my Sis a oreyo with toothpaste in it
- abbyluvsu3 monthsOops did she like it?
- rishaan113 monthsHahaha, we played 5 pranks on our teacher for April Fools. 1. was wearing realistic scary masks, and we kid in the cupboard, waiting for our teacher to open it, 2. was when we were all eating in class, one person goes up the our teacher and says "uhh.. im soo hot, i-i c-cant brea-" and then just faints, then we all faint one by one, 3. and 4. were the same, we fainted off our chairs while working. It was so funny!
- abbyluvsu3 monthsDid your teacher freak out?
- dream_beyond3 monthsHaha, sounds fun! How'd your teacher react?
- crazychristine3 monthsThat sounds fun
- annathe_awesome3 monthshaha have fun guys!!!