Saturnalia
Today marks the beginning of the pagan-Roman festival of Saturnalia.
The Saturnalia festival has an astronomical character, referring to the completion of the sun’s yearly course, and the commencement of a new cycle. Saturn, from whom we have named the 6th planet after and get the word for the 6th day of the week, Saturday, represented by the sun at its lowest aspect at the winter solstice. The earth is cold, most plants are dead, and it was believed that the sun might also be approaching death.
Today winter solstice is around December 21, but because of calendar changes, it was originally December 25th. Saturnalia celebrated the sun overcoming the power of winter, with hope of spring when life would be renewed - the modern Christmas festivities are a continuation of this pagan-Roman midwinter festival.
Saturnalia festivities began with ritual and sacrifices in the Temple of Saturn, it was a festival known for it's extravagant decadences. The statue of the god was hollow and refilled with fresh olive oil, as a symbol of his agricultural functions. The woolen bonds which fettered the feet of the ivory cult statue within were loosened on that day to symbolize the liberation of the god. There was a public banquet, which Livy says was introduced in 217 BC (there also may have been a lectisternium, a banquet for the god in which its image is placed in attendance, as if a guest. After the rituals, the celebrants shouted the cry of "Io, Saturnalia!", a sign for the happy festivities of the season to begin. It began as a 1 day festival but was so popular it quickly became a 7 day festival, finishing on the 23rd December. Augustus tried to reduce it to 3 days and Caligula to 5 days, but it was met with such public outcry, that these schemes failed and it carried on as a week long festival.
It was considered be many Roman's to be the best part of the Roman year. Many of it's festive traditions are still carried out today in our Christmas traditions.
The giving of gifts, beeswax candles (cerei) and earthware figurines (sigillaria), were very popular.
Bringing outdoor trees, indoors and decorating them with suns and stars.
Singing and dancing in the street (precursor to caroling), could be carried out if you had managed to obtain a 'parade permit' from your municpality.
Also a Lord of Misrule was appointed for the feast of, in the guise of the good god Saturn. During this time the ordinary rules of life were subverted as masters served their slaves, and the offices of state were held by slaves. The Lord of Misrule presided over all of this, and had the power to command anyone to do anything during the holiday period.
The custom was abolished by Henry VIII in 1512, restored by the Catholic Queen Mary I and again abolished by protestant Elizabeth I, though here and there it lingered on for some time longer. On the Continent it was suppressed by the Council of Basle in 1431, but was revived in some places from time to time, even as late as the eighteenth century.
When the Romans colonised Britain, they brought Saturnalia with them and we have been practising these traditions ever since.
"Io Saturnalia!!"
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17th December - Saturnalia
(see above)
