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The exact origins of April Fool's Day are unknown, though historians have some interesting theories regarding the dawn of this day devoted to pranks. Some historians have linked April Fool's Day to the festival of Hilaria in ancient Rome. According to History.com, Hilaria was celebrated by the followers of the cult of Cybele at the end of March. During the festival, celebrants dressed up in disguises and mocked fellow citizens. Another theory suggests April Fool's Day might be linked to the transition from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in France in 1582. The news of that transition, which officially recognized the start of the new year as January 1 after it had been April 1, reached some people's ears more quickly than others'. Those who were slow to get the news continued to celebrate April 1 as the start of a new year, inspiring others to mock them and refer to them as "April fools."