Prepare Your Pranks: April Fools' Day Is Just Around The Corner!

An April Fools' Day prank in Boston's Public Garden warning people not to photograph sculptures, as the light emitted will "erode the sculptures" (Credit: Whoisjohngalt at English Wikipedia/ CC BY-SA-3.0/ Wikimedia Commons)

For people who enjoy pranks, there is no better holiday than April Fools' Day. Celebrated annually on April 1, it is the only day of the year when light-hearted tricks are not frowned upon. The origin of this fun tradition is hazy. Some maintain that it started in 1582 when the world moved from the Julian calendar — which began the new year in April — to the current Gregorian calendar. Others think it was to celebrate the onset of spring.

Regardless of its origin, April Fools' Day is celebrated worldwide. Even companies get into the spirit with elaborate pranks that fool people for hours and sometimes even days. Here are a few of our past favorites.

Virgin Australia Fly Cleaning

Virgin Airlines' Australian subsidiary is well-known for coming up with realistic April Fools' pranks, and 2023 was no exception. On April 1, the company announced that passengers could drop off their dirty clothes at the airline's check-in counter before getting on the airplane. They would be washed, ironed, and ready for pick up at the end of the flight. If only it had been true!

Pupbucks by Starbucks

Starbucks Coffee Company is famous for treating dogs to complimentary cups of whipped cream, or "Puppuccinos." Hence, the news that the company had decided to open Pupbucks, a coffee shop just for dogs, seemed plausible. Starbucks even released a video of adorable pups rushing to get "lattes" and "cream-cheese-filled bagels." The company also took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to ask fans to help them in "develpuping" the menu. The only catch? The announcement was made on April 1, 2019!

Chegg Osmosis Learning Pillow

In 2018, American education company Chegg introduced a learning pillow that would transfer knowledge into a person's brain while they were sleeping. All they had to do was place the textbook(s) underneath the pillow. Unfortunately, it was just a clever April Fools' prank.

Burger King's "single" fries

In 2016, fast-food giant Burger King's French division unveiled a new menu item — a carefully wrapped single fry meant to be savored slowly. Fortunately, for lovers of the fried potato treats, it was an April Fools' prank!