Wendy’s Giving Away Free Food While Mercury Is in Retrograde

Are you feeling a little dazed and confused? Astrologists believe this is because Mercury will soon be in retrograde.

Wendy’s believes it has a cure.

The fast food chain announced it would soon introduce its “Mercury Menu,” offering deals such as free Crispy Chicken Sandwiches, free 6-piece Crispy or Spicy Chicken Nuggets, and free hot & spicy fries with any purchase from April 20 to May 14, right when Mercury is in retrograde.

The deal is available exclusively through mobile ordering via the brand’s app. Here are the details:

• BOGO $1 Premium Sandwich with any purchase from Friday, April 21 through Sunday, April 23.
• Free Crispy Chicken Sandwich with any purchase from Monday, April 24 through Sunday, April 30.
• Free 6-piece Crispy or Spicy Chicken Nuggets with any purchase from Monday, May 1 through Sunday, May 7.
• Free Any Size Hot & Crispy Fry when you make any purchase between Monday, May 8 and Sunday, May 14.

What is Mercury retrograde?

The phrase Mercury is in retrograde refers to a phenomenon where the planet Mercury appears to move backward in its orbit around the sun. The movement happens several times a year. Astrologists believe Mercury retrograde can cause people to feel disoriented and confused.

“When Mercury is moving forward, in its natural motion, communications go generally easily. Though when Mercury goes out of its natural orbit, say in retrograde, there tend to be all sorts of wires crossed and miscommunications,” astrologer Rebecca Gordon told CBS News.

But according to scientists at NASA, Mercury in retrograde is “not real in that the planet does not physically start moving backward in its orbit. It just appears to do so because of the relative positions of the planet and Earth and how they are moving around the Sun.”

Still, this hasn’t stopped Wendy’s from capitalizing on a good marketing opportunity. According to a 2022 YouGov poll, one in four Americans believes in Astrology.