What is Saturnalia?
Saturnus, the god of seed and sowing, was honored with a festival called Saturnalia. Saturnalia was an ancient Roman pagan festival that lasted seven days, from December 17 to 23; the date of the festival correlates with the winter sowing season of Rome. The Roman poet Catullus famously described the holiday as the “best of the times.”
Customs:
During Saturnalia, moral restrictions were eased. Schools and courts closed, work and business came to a standstill, and slaves were given temporary freedom to do or say whatever they liked. The Romans spent Saturnalia gambling, playing music, singing, feasting, socializing, and giving gifts. They decorated their homes with wreath and greenery and even swapped their traditional togas for colorful clothing. In many Roman households, a mock king (Saturnalia Princeps) was chosen, and it was usually of the lowest class member. The mock king, also called the Lord of Misrule, was given the right to conduct light-hearted mischief. On the last day of Saturnalia, which was known as sigillaria, many Romans gave their friends and family small terracotta and wax figures.
Traditional Rituals:
On the first day of Saturnalia, a young pig would be publicly sacrificed at the Temple of Saturn. Usually, the statue of Saturn has bonds tied around his feet, but during Saturnalia, the bonds were loosened to represent his liberation.
Influence on Christmas:
The date of Christmas was actually based on Saturnalia. There is no date for Jesus’ birth in the Bible, and some theologists propose that he may have been born in spring. By 4th century AD, Western Christian churches started celebrating Christmas on December 25, allowing them to incorporate Saturnalia and other pagan midwinter traditions.
Saturnalia traditions, such as giving gifts, feasting, singing, light candles, and merrymaking, have deeply influenced Christmas traditions.
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