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- Every April 4
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Tell a Lie Day invites everyone to indulge in harmless untruths and tall tales every April 4. This quirky observance, following closely after April Fool’s Day, offers a chance to get creative with storytelling. Share a humorous fib, bluff in a game, or simply enjoy the lighter side of deception.
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Expected Tell a Lie Day Deals
While major retailers don’t typically run ‘lie-themed’ sales, expect playful promotions from brands that lean into humor and games. Look for discounts on board games from Hasbro or Mattel, escape room experiences from local venues, or even special offers on comedy shows. Online retailers like Amazon and Target might feature deals on prank items or novelty gifts. Fast-food chains like Burger King or Taco Bell could launch limited-time ‘unbelievable’ menu items or marketing stunts. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as April 4 approaches.
Platform Guide for Tell a Lie Day
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #TellALieDay. Film yourself telling an outrageous (but harmless) fib and see if your followers can spot the truth!
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #TellALieDay. Post a carousel of ‘facts’ about yourself, with one being a complete fabrication, and challenge friends to guess.
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #TellALieDay. Share your most outlandish, yet believable, ‘lie’ in a tweet and encourage others to contribute their own.
Tell a Lie Day Hero
Baron Munchausen
History of Tell a Lie Day
Tricksters have been around since the beginning of written myths. They’ve appeared in folktales all over the world as gods, goddesses, spirits, and animals with human traits that have the propensity for causing trouble.Â
Certain Native American tribes have used these stories as a way to teach their youth meaningful lessons about life. These tricksters have often been depicted as animals like the coyote and find great joy in cheating, lying, tricking, and deceiving for their own personal gain or enjoyment.
“Aesop’s Fables” is a collection of fables from a slave and storyteller in Ancient Greece that was published in 1876. In his story, “The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf”, a boy lies to villagers about a wolf eating his flock of sheep. The boy was actually lying to create a bit of excitement. When a wolf actually came, he told the villagers but they had caught onto his game and they didn’t believe him. The shepherd boy’s sheep were eaten and a wise man tells him that a liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.
In 1940, Italian author Carlo Collodi’s novel “The Adventures of Pinnochio” was adapted to an animated film. In “Pinnochio” an elderly and impoverished woodcarver was so lonely that he wished for his puppet to come to life. The Blue Fairy appears and grants him his wish, bringing life to Pinnochio, but he’s still made of wood. Through Pinnochio’s trials, he has to make a series of choices that test his goodness and if he tells a lie, his nose grows.
The clown is a Jungian archetype that doesn’t necessarily have supernatural or divine powers. Instead, they’re more charismatically humorous and have had stock character roles used to add some lightheartedness to the story. On the opposite end of the spectrum would be the DC Comics villain Joker, who has taken his clown and lying antics to a dangerous level. Today, being a liar isn’t seen as an admirable trait in most circumstances, but Tell a Lie Day offers people a chance at pretending for a little while.
Tell a Lie Day timeline
The Joker, Batman’s greatest villain, is created and uses comedic antics in his crimes.
Disney’s “Pinnochio” releases about a puppet who comes to life and whenever he tells a lie, his nose grows.
“The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf,” tells the story of a boy who lies about a wolf coming to eat his flock of sheep and isn’t believed by the villagers when a real wolf comes.
Native American tribes tell stories to children about trickster animals to teach them important lessons.
How Businesses Can Celebrate Tell a Lie Day
Local businesses can embrace Tell a Lie Day with playful marketing stunts and ‘too good to be true’ promotions. A restaurant might advertise a ‘secret menu item that doesn’t exist’ only to reveal a real, delicious special. Retailers could create a ‘spot the lie’ game in their window display, challenging passersby to identify a fabricated product claim among real ones. Service providers might offer a ‘deal so good, it must be a lie’ discount for customers who can tell a convincing (harmless) fib about their day.
Tell a Lie Day FAQs
When is Tell a Lie Day?
In 2027, Tell a Lie Day is observed on a Sunday, April 4. It’s a chance to indulge in harmless exaggerations and enjoy the art of a good, believable fib with friends and family.
How often do people tell lies?
While the exact frequency varies, studies consistently show that most individuals engage in some form of deception daily, from small social fibs to more significant untruths. This holiday playfully highlights our complex relationship with truth.
What are common types of lies?
From altruistic ‘white lies’ to self-serving fabrications, human deception takes many forms. People often lie to protect others, avoid conflict, or enhance their social image, making the act of fibbing a complex social phenomenon.
Is Tell a Lie Day related to April Fool's Day?
Tell a Lie Day, observed just three days after April Fool’s Day, shares a similar spirit of mischief and playful trickery. It provides another opportunity for those who enjoy clever pranks and amusing untruths to continue the fun.
How To Celebrate Tell a Lie Day
Tell a small lie
No one wants to get seriously hurt by lies, but telling a harmless one can’t hurt. Tell someone a fact about your life that’s actually untrue. Claim that you climbed Mount Everest or that you once ate one-hundred hotdogs in an hour. After you’ve convinced them, let them in on your game and have a good laugh about it.
Two truths and a lie
A fun game to play is one where you and some friends tell each other two truths and a lie about yourselves. The idea is to keep all of the instances similar to one another to make it harder to guess, or you can be tactical and tell them one unbelievable truth about yourself so they think that that’s the lie.
Test your poker face
Play a game of poker and really try to confuse your opponents by managing your reactions. The best way to do it is by playing mind games. When you have a great hand, try indicating that your hand is unbeatable. Revealing what you actually have could make others think the opposite.
5 Interesting Facts About Tell A Lie Day
Words lie
People tend to lie more in writing than face-to-face.
Coyote funny
In the Maidu tribe's creation myth, the coyote disfigured the world with its laughter, creates mischief, and introduced fire and the first lie to the world.
Nothing to hide
A study has shown that people are more trusting of bearded men than clean-shaven men.
Lies hurt
Lying adds stress to your life and can negatively affect your physical health.
New year for lying
People lie the most in January, usually because of their broken New Year promises.
Why We Love Tell a Lie Day
A small lie is fun
Let’s be honest, being a little bad can be fun sometimes. Tell a Lie Day allows us to unleash the inner trickster within and a white lie can lead to some big laughs.
Life shouldn’t be taken too seriously
The everyday stresses of our lives can catch up to us, and it’s good to have days where the pressure is off. No one can be good all the time.
Get better at bluffing
Bluffing is a useful skill that takes some time to master. Many games require you to mislead people, and if you’re too honest, it can work against you.
Social Media Tips for Tell a Lie Day
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