From Big Ben going digital to Shannon Airport being renamed – the best of April Fools’

Prank: The new Volkswagen ID4 electric car has just gone on sale in the US and Europe – but it won’t have a ‘Voltswagen’ badge

Luke Byrne Twitter Email

April 01 2021 02:30 AM

April Fools’ Day has been around for hundreds of years and is observed by many cultures, but its exact origins are unclear.

One disputed claim is that it comes from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, published in 1400.

The ‘Nun’s Priest’s Tale’ part of the book sees a poet describing how a fox tricks the vain rooster Chauntecleer, 32 days since the beginning of March, coinciding with April 1.

But historians have found this to be a copying error from the hand-written text. Chaucer refers to the star constellation of Taurus – not visible in the sky until May.

Another theory is that it comes from the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582 across continental Europe. Pope Gregory XIII called for New Year’s Day to be celebrated on January 1, rather than the end of March.

Some missed the direction and celebrated on April 1, leading them to be made fun of. However, this too is disputed, especially in Britain where the calendar was not introduced until 1752.

Others have linked it to the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria, where at the end of March, people would dress up and make fun of each other.

Whatever its origins, the day has given rise to some famous – and infamous – pranks in more modern times.

Shannon Airport to be renamed

In 2014, local radio station Clare FM ran a story that Shannon Airport was to be renamed in honour of All-Ireland winning manger Davy Fitzgerald.

The piece referenced the success of renaming Liverpool Airport after Beatle John Lennon, while the airport’s CEO also wished people a happy April 1.

Name change by Volkswagen backfires

In a recent example, the German car manufacturer published a press release this week announcing it was changing its name to ‘Voltswagen’ in the US.

This was, it said, to highlight its efforts in making electric cars.

“We know, 66 is an unusual age to change your name, but we’ve always been young at heart. Introducing Voltswagen,” a tweet said.

But the company then was forced to admit this was an April Fools’ prank that was leaked too early.

Big Ben goes digital

On April 1, 1980, the BBC reported that the iconic London clock was going digital and its hands would be given away to the first four callers to the station.

The report led to a significant response from angry listeners, as well as some who called in hoping to win one of the hands.

“Surprisingly, few people thought it was funny,” Tony Lightley of the BBC’s overseas service, was reported to have said.

Burger King’s left-handed burger

In 1998, the fast-food chain paid for advertising space in the US to promote its new product – a left-handed burger. It was reported that thousands of people visited restaurants asking for the burger, while some requested a right-hand version.