How Did April Fools’ Day Start And 3 Epic Pranks That Have Been Pulled Off
The time of the year when hilarious tricks and devious pranks run rampant has come once again – April Fools’ Day. This annual day will bring forth the best among pranksters as well as demand everyone to be a good sport.
As we celebrate April Fools’ Day, one has to wonder about its origins and why fake pregnancy pranks and whoopee cushions become something to watch out for. Apparently, there are many theories that hope to explain how this day came to be.
The Birth of the April Fools’ Day Tradition
According to Standard, many theories are connected to the late 16th century when Pope Gregory XIII decided to adopt the Gregorian calendar. The latter changed the start of the year from April to January 1, a calendar which is still used today. The term April Fools is what they called people who continued to celebrate New Year on April 1 instead of January 1.
Moreover, April Fools’ Day was previously called All Fools’ Day as reported by the Herald Sun and that more theories on its origins exist. Another notable theory behind April Fools’ Day is that it was to mark the day that England’s King George III joked about letting go of the crown on April 1, 1789. The unfortunate peasants who opted to celebrate their freedom upon hearing the news were arrested.
We have England to thank for heavily popularizing the April Fools’ Day tradition of practical jokes and well-thought-out pranks. Apparently, the English made a continuous effort to keep the spirit of the day alive since the 1700s. Another neat bit of trivia about April Fools’ Day is that some of the English people who first practiced the tradition only carried out the pranks until midday.
Commendable April Fools’ Day Pranks
The April Fools’ Day Tradition is evidently carried out to this day, with some people excited about competing to become the best prank mastermind, while some guard themselves against practical jokes. Even the biggest names in society are found participating in the tradition and have doled out some epic pranks.
A collection of these hilarious pranks by well-known companies and individuals were collected by Fox 25 Boston depicting that even large brands have a great sense of humor during this time of the year. One of the pranks featured by the publication was one by Richard Branson the founder of Virgin Group and a well-known billionaire.
Richard Branson’s Galactic Purchase
Richard Branson definitely has a funny bone somewhere in his body, which caused him to come up with a hilarious way to tease his fans. Mr. Branson utilized social media and announced that he was buying the planet Pluto. He even stated his intentions for the ex-planet, saying that he will reinstate it as a planet in 2011 and it will be the key to unlock a new age of space tourism.
Many have failed to see the loopholes in the CEO’s post and fell for Mr. Branson’s social media prank. The post included incorrect information such as its citing of Pluto’s demotion as a planet happened in 1996 where in fact, it happened in 2006. Those who actually believed that Mr. Branson was buying Pluto remained good sportsmanship and congratulated the billionaire for a prank well played.
Taco Bell’s Plot Against America’s Liberty Bell
Another praiseworthy prank was one by Taco Bell back in 1996. The popular food chain announced that they were buying the Liberty Bell and planned to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. This prank caused an outburst as many people found out about Taco Bell’s devious scheme in a newspaper ad.
The prank fooled many people including the employees of National Park Service at the Liberty Bell, however, the prank sort of victimized the mastermind too. Since Taco Bell made the announcement, their headquarters were spammed with calls from concerned citizens. While the National Park Employees had to hold a press conference to clear things up. Soon after, Taco Bell chimed in to confirm that it was all just a big April Fools’ Day prank.
Alamo Rent A Car Offers Monster Trucks to Customers
Alamo Rent A Car made an announcement on Facebook that left many fans mind-blown. The company posted on social media on March 31, 2015, that they will start renting out monster trucks starting June. Apparently, the company wanted to give customers a “thrilling off-road experience,” and even went as far as posting a YouTube video to make the prank all too real.
As a result, many interested customers left comments on the post inquiring about the locations that offer rental monster trucks. The company’s page carried out the prank very realistically and even replied to such comments, telling them to visit the website on May 15th for more details.
April Fools’ Day is the time of the year when the best pranksters come out to play and have done so since the 1700s. This centuries-old tradition is still alive today and many can’t help but wonder what kind of devious pranks the people of 2017 have up their sleeves.
[Featured Image By Ted S. Warren/AP Images]
