Dia das Mentiras

As it´s the first of April, we were tempted to say that we had decided to move back to the UK.....however we thought no one would believe us! Instead, we are marking the day by looking at some of the memorable Portuguese April Fools' over the years. In 2017, Jornal de Notícias, pulled off a classic prank when they published an article claiming that the famous 25th of April Bridge in Lisbon would be extended to connect to a new island in the Tagus River, turning the capital into a massive floating city. The report was so believable that people actually started questioning the feasibility of the project—only to discover it was all a well-executed April Fools' joke.

In 2015, a famous Portuguese pastry company claimed that they had accidentally invented a "new" churro—a long, curly version of the beloved traditional pastry. The catch? This new churro was filled with a strange combination of ingredients, including beans, mashed potatoes, and squid ink. The social media response was hilarious, as many people found the idea absurd, but others were genuinely curious to try the new creation—until they realized it was all a joke.

In 2011, the Portuguese weather channel claimed that, for the first time in history, Portugal would experience a rare meteorological phenomenon: a massive snowstorm in the middle of summer! They provided detailed weather forecasts, with snowfall expected on the beaches of the Algarve. Of course, the predictions turned out to be totally fake, but it sparked laughter across the country as people began imagining snowflakes falling on the sunny Portuguese coast!

And finally, in 2012, a local news outlet published an article claiming that a giant statue of Cristiano Ronaldo was going to be erected in the centre of Lisbon. The statue was supposedly set to rival the famous Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, but this larger-than-life tribute would be built in the heart of the city! Of course, people were sceptical, but it didn't stop the joke from getting a lot of attention, especially among football fans. Dia das Mentiras is a reminder for everyone not to take life too seriously—especially on April 1st!