As April 1, 2026, dawns, the world once again braces for a day that’s equal parts mischief, marketing, and mayhem: April Fools’ Day. While not a federal holiday, this peculiar occasion has become a global tradition for pulling pranks, spinning hoaxes, and, sometimes, crossing the line between hilarity and harm. From the playful to the infamous, April Fools’ Day has a rich—if somewhat mysterious—history and a modern twist that keeps even the most seasoned pranksters on their toes.
According to USA TODAY, the roots of April Fools’ Day stretch back to at least the 15th century and the late Middle Ages. Stephen Winick of the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center notes that the holiday’s true origin is hard to pin down. Some historians point to the Roman festival Hilaria, a springtime event marked by disguises and playful mockery. Others trace it to ancient Egyptian legends or the unpredictability of the vernal equinox, when nature itself seems to play tricks with sudden weather changes. Regardless of its beginnings, April Fools’ Day has become a fixture for those who relish the chance to fool friends, family, and—more recently—entire nations.
But not everyone is a fan. Bethenny Frankel, alumna of "Real Housewives of New York City," confessed to USA TODAY that she dreads the day. “I scare easily,” she admitted, adding, “I’ll be the one that will like believe my 72-year-old friend is pregnant.” Frankel’s candid admission is a reminder that not everyone enjoys being the butt of a joke, and sometimes, even the most innocent prank can go awry.
Indeed, as Townsquare Media recently warned, some pranks are best left untried. “April Fools is not a holiday that everyone wants to celebrate,” the outlet noted, urging would-be jokesters to consider whether their antics might ruin someone’s day. The advice: stick to lighthearted, harmless gags. Among the suggestions gathered from Reddit and other sources: changing a spouse’s birthday on Facebook to April 1 and watching the confusion roll in; painting a bar of soap with clear nail polish so it won’t lather; or staging a mock bug discovery with a raisin, only to eat it in front of a horrified onlooker. There’s also the classic “slashed tires” prank—where a friend finds photos of the guitarist Slash taped to their car tires—and the ever-popular autocorrect sabotage, swapping “you” for “y’all.”
Of course, April Fools’ Day isn’t just for individuals. As USA TODAY and the Chicago Tribune both highlight, brands and media outlets have long used the day for elaborate hoaxes—sometimes with unintended consequences. The annals of April Fools’ marketing are filled with both triumphs and disasters. In 2021, Volkswagen’s American division announced a supposed rebrand to “Voltswagen” to highlight its commitment to electric vehicles. The joke, released prematurely, led to a temporary rise in the company’s stock price and confusion among journalists before the automaker admitted it was a prank.
Google’s 2016 “Mic Drop” feature, which let users insert a GIF of a minion dropping a microphone into emails, also backfired. A bug caused the feature to appear in unintended messages, prompting Google to disable it and apologize: “We love April Fools jokes at Google, and we regret that this joke missed the mark and disappointed you.”
But sometimes, the joke lands perfectly. In 1996, Taco Bell took out full-page ads in major newspapers—including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Times, and USA TODAY—announcing it had purchased the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the “Taco Liberty Bell” to help pay down the national debt. The National Park Service was forced to hold a press conference to deny the sale, but Taco Bell ultimately revealed the hoax and donated $50,000 to the bell’s preservation. The payoff? An estimated $25 million in publicity and a sales spike of $500,000 to $600,000 over April 1 and 2, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Shannon Chirone, senior vice president of marketing at HungerRush, told USA TODAY, “April Fools’ Day is one of the most enticing and treacherous dates on the marketing calendar. When marketing concepts on April Fools’ work, they can generate enormous organic buzz and genuine brand affinity. When they don’t, they can seriously damage brand reputation.” She pointed to 7-Eleven’s “Tiny Gulp”—a mock product of just 0.7 ounces—as a “masterclass in getting it right.” The joke was obvious, self-deprecating, and reinforced the brand’s identity, all while sparking conversation and laughter.
For 2026, frozen Greek yogurt maker Yasso is getting in on the act with its Foolproof Freezer campaign. In partnership with Frankel, Yasso is offering 40,001 coupons for a free 14-ounce carton of Spoonables frozen Greek yogurt through April 30. “The entire premise of the holiday is that someone’s being made to look foolish, and that’s exactly what we believe the better-for-you frozen treat category has been doing to consumers for years: when frozen brands overpromise and underdeliver,” said Kelsey Gill, senior brand manager at Yasso. Frankel, a self-professed fan, added, “There’s no sacrifice, because it’s delicious.”
Other brands are joining the fun with tongue-in-cheek product launches. Spot & Tango, a dog nutrition company, is touting “Pee Bags”—leak-proof bags for dogs, with the catch being the unlikely prospect of training a dog to use them. They’re also offering “PupGloss,” a lip balm for dogs, alongside real discounts and giveaways. Life is Good is advertising “Passenger Pants,” sweatpants with a hand-shaped pocket for cozy road trips—though, as with many April Fools’ products, you can’t actually buy them. Instead, the brand is offering a 25% discount and a giveaway to mark the occasion.
Media outlets have a storied history with April Fools’ Day, too. The Chicago Tribune recalls its own 1906 prank, when it published a two-page spread about dinosaurs invading the city, complete with fabricated “photographs” and a tale of destruction. In 1957, the BBC famously reported on a bumper “spaghetti harvest” in Switzerland, showing farmers picking noodles from trees. NPR once aired a segment featuring a fake Richard Nixon announcing a presidential run, and National Geographic has repeatedly joined in, once claiming it would stop publishing photos of “naked animals.”
Perhaps the most legendary media prank came in 1985, when Sports Illustrated published George Plimpton’s “The Curious Case of Sidd Finch.” The 13-page feature detailed a Buddhist baseball pitcher who could throw a 168 mph fastball—complete with photos and a backstory. The tale was pure fiction, but so convincing that many readers were fooled. One letter to the magazine captured the spirit of April Fools’ Day: “You lousy, good-for-nothing blankety-blanks. You got me hook, line and sinker, and I loved it.”
Still, for every delighted participant, there’s someone who’d rather sit the day out. As Townsquare Media wisely suggests, “Some people may not have your sense of humor so instead of pulling mean pranks, try a friendly, harmless one instead.” In the age of viral marketing and social media, that’s advice worth heeding. Whether you’re plotting a prank or dodging one, remember that the best jokes are those everyone can laugh about—after all, nobody wants to lose a friend over a joke gone too far.
So as April Fools’ Day rolls around, keep your wits about you, your sense of humor intact, and maybe double-check that unbelievable news before you share it. The world could use a little more laughter—just not at someone else’s expense.