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An Ancient Roman Festival
The Saturnalia was originally an ancient Roman agricultural feast held in honor of the god of seeds and sowing, Saturn. It was later celebrated in remembrance of the benevolent Golden Age of man, presided over by the Greek god Kronos, who came to be associated with the Roman deity, Saturn.
The Festival of Saturnalia was held annually in December. In the old Roman calendar, the tenth month marked the end of the Roman agricultural year. By mid-December, the harvest had been stored, the seeds for next year's crop had been planted and, the wine vinted. The time had come for the people of Rome to have a much deserved rest, joyous celebration and reverent thanksgiving. Initially, the feast of Saturn was once a one day celebration. However, the official length of the holiday changed several times gradually expanding to seven days, despite political attempts to constrain the festival.
In our Gregorian calendar, Saturnalia coincides with the Winter Solstice, a cosmic event of mystery and suspense. In the Julian calendar used by the Romans, the Winter Solstice or Brumalia occured on Dec 25th. Humans have gathered together during these black nights to give solace and comfort to one another since prehistoric times. As the world grew cold and grey, it was once feared that the sun was approaching the end of its life. Sacrifices were often made to placate the gods and to ensure that great light of the heavens would be reborn. Although it is not a solar holiday, Saturnalia echoes some of the these practices.
Many Saturnalia traditions are survived in our 21st century winter celebrations. For example, the Romans decorated their homes and communities with glowing candles, greenery swags and wreaths of holly, cypress and laurel, much as we do today. They held huge public banquets for all the people of Rome, not unlike the many charities that open their doors during our winter holiday season. The Roman also exchanged personal gifts and greetings of good will at this time. This is just a short list of the many similarities in the traditions of ancient Saturnalia and our modern Christmas and New Years customs.
