April Fool's Traditions
Famous Hoaxes
In the Movies
Tricksters in Literature & Folklore
Odd Pranks & Wordplay
100
This is the date on which April Fool's Day is celebrated each year.
April 1
100
In 1957, the BBC aired a famous spoof about this food growing on trees.
Spaghetti
100
In this 1973 film, a group of con artists pull off an elaborate long con.
The Sting
100
This Norse god is famous for mischief, deception, and shape-shifting.
Loki
100
This harmless prank item is commonly used to squirt water at the unsuspecting.
A trick flower
200
In France, prank victims may find a paper fish secretly taped to their backs, called this.
Poisson d'Avril
200
Taco Bell once claimed it had purchased and renamed this iconic American landmark.
The Liberty Bell
200
This comedy film features Jim Carrey tricked into living inside a giant televised world.
The Truman Show
200
In West African and Caribbean folklore, this spider is a famous trickster.
Anansi
200
This classic prank message falsely alerts someone to untied footwear.
Your shoelace is untied
300
This phrase is commonly shouted after a prank is revealed.
April Fools!
300
Google once announced a service called Google Nose, supposedly letting users do this online.
Smell things
300
In this 1986 fantasy film, a prank-loving goblin king is played by David Bowie.
Labyrinth
300
This character in Twain's novels is known for clever schemes with Huck Finn.
Tom Sawyer
300
A practical joke is often shortened to these two letters.
PJ
400
In Scotland, April Fool's Day traditionally lasted this many days, with the second devoted to tail-related pranks.
Two
400
In a famous Sports Illustrated prank, Sidd Finch was said to pitch for this baseball team.
The New York Mets
400
This 2002 movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr.
Catch Me If You Can
400
In Native American folklore, this bird often appears as a trickster and creator figure.
Raven
400
This word means both a joke and, in computing, a malicious deception like an email scam.
Phish
500
This Roman festival of hilarity and role reversal is sometimes cited as an ancient ancestor of April Fool's Day.
Hilaria
500
In 1996, this fast-food chain claimed to sell a 'Left-Handed Whopper.'
Burger King
500
In this classic film, a radio drama causes panic when listeners think Martians are really invading.
War of the Worlds
500
This medieval literary figure survives by trickery in stories from Europe and North America.
Reynard the Fox
500
This literary term refers to a deliberate deception meant to trick readers or audiences into believing something false.
Hoax
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