Saturnalia

In ancient Rome, December 17 was declared to be Saturnalia, a festival that was tied to the winter solstice.  It honored the god Saturn, the god of agriculture and the harvest.  Houses were decorated with candles and lamps, evergreen trees were decorated with sweets and ornaments, and bonfires were built to help lure the Sun back. It was a time of feasting and good cheer.  Gambling was even allowed.  

People performed acts of charity, like forgiving debts and making donations. They also exchanged small gifts and ate and drank too much.   Masters waited on slaves, and temples held feasts that were open to the poor and homeless.

Saturnalia began as a single-day affair but proved so popular that it quickly expanded to six days.

Many of Saturnalia’s customs survive in the celebration of Christmas.  In fact, there may be a relation between Saturnalia and the date of Christmas.

The early Christian Church was looking for a way to overcome the many pagan solstice celebrations throughout Europe. In essence, it followed the philosophy of, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” It picked December 25th as the date to commemorate Christ’s birthday, and incorporated some of the trappings of the older festivals into the new celebration of Christmas.

So, how far back do you want to go to celebrate the season?