April Fools’ Day

About the event

April Fools’ Day is the one day of the year when the internet turns into a minefield, press releases become untrustworthy, and brands compete to invent the most ridiculous fake product. It has no single creator and no exact birth date — which is probably the most fitting joke of all for a holiday built entirely around deception.

So where did this day even come from?

The most popular theory goes like this: in 1564, France switched to the Gregorian calendar, and New Year moved from the end of March to January 1. Those who did not hear about the change (or refused to believe it) kept celebrating in April — and people laughed at them, calling them “April fish” (poisson d’avril). In France, children still tape paper fish to each other’s backs on this day. In Scotland, April Fools’ Day traditionally lasted two days, and the second was devoted entirely to jokes about... the backside (Hunt the Gowk Day + Taily Day). In India, April 1 often overlaps with Holi — and that may be the only day when no one takes offense if you get splashed with color.

The best brand pranks of 2026

This year, brands delivered again:

Yahoo released a $4.99 accessory in TikTok Shop — a cap for your finger that physically stops you from scrolling. Selling a tool against doomscrolling inside TikTok Shop is peak meta-humor.

Tesco unveiled the Giant Boiled Egg — a hard-boiled egg ten times larger than usual, “exclusive for Clubcard members.” It was based on a real insight: the protein egg has been the most popular Meal Deal snack for two years in a row.

Cup Noodles stepped beyond the kitchen with overnight curlers shaped like noodles and a styling spray called “Broth Boost.” Wake up and you have ramen waves.

Currys announced SniffGuard — an AI gadget that scans your clothes for odors and decides whether it is time to do laundry. In the era of “AI for everything,” it sounded almost believable.

Whisker (maker of cat litter products) launched “Cataire,” a luxury knitwear line supposedly made from real cat fur. Each piece was linked to a specific shelter cat, complete with name and bio. The joke ended up turning into a real fundraiser for Best Friends Animal Society.

Raising Cane’s, together with actress Mckenna Grace, introduced Cane’s Sauce Coke — Coca-Cola with the chain’s signature sauce mixed in. Thankfully, no one actually has to drink it.

Krispy Kreme presented a doughnut with a pickle inside. It was a joke — but the $4.01 discount on a dozen original glazed doughnuts for loyalty members was real.

Five legendary historical pranks

• BBC, 1957 — a report on the spaghetti harvest in Switzerland. Viewers called in asking how to grow spaghetti trees. The BBC advised them to “place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”
• Taco Bell, 1996 — an announcement claiming it had bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell. The White House had to comment.
• Google, 2004 — Gmail. No one believed free email with 1 GB of storage was real. It was.
• Burger King, 1998 — the Left-Handed Whopper, a burger “designed for left-handed people” with all ingredients rotated 180 degrees. Thousands of people showed up to order it.
• IKEA, 2019 — “Sömnig,” a pillow with an alarm function that would “gently vibrate to wake only you, not your partner.” A lot of people were disappointed to find out it was fake.

Rules for a good prank

1. The joke should be funny for everyone, including the person on the receiving end.
2. The best pranks hover right on the edge of truth. If people hesitate for even a second, that is a win.
3. The afternoon rule. In Britain, pranks are only meant to happen before noon. After 12:00, the fool is the prankster, not the target.
4. Do not mess with emotions. Fake pregnancy, fake breakup, “someone died” — that is not humor, that is cruelty.

What to gift on April Fools’ Day?

• A surprise box — a normal gift in absurd packaging. Headphones inside an iron box. Chocolate inside a bouillon cube container.
• A party game — Exploding Kittens, Throw Throw Burrito, or Cards Against Humanity. Laughter guaranteed.
• A book of absurd humor — Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, or Daniil Kharms for those with the right taste.
• A prank kit — googly eyes for everything in the fridge, a fake spider, or the classic office stapler in jelly (The Office says hello).
• A subscription to a meme channel — sometimes the best gift is a daily dose of laughter.
• Nothing at all. Say the gift will arrive tomorrow. Then tomorrow say it came yesterday. That is the spirit of the day.