Tag: Saturnalia

Saturnalia: The Wild Holiday that Turned Ancient Rome Upside Down

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How the Romans celebrated Saturnalia. Happy Saturnalia! This ancient Roman holiday honors Saturn, the god of seed-sowing, and celebrates the promise of a spring harvest. Originally just one day, over the centuries the festivities grew to last a whole week, starting on December 17 and coinciding with the winter solstice.⁠⠀ In Rome, the holiday was[…]

The Ancient Roman Saturnalia Celebration

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Similarities of its features suggest a strong influence on the Christian celebration of Christmas. By Mark CartwrightHistorian Introduction The Saturnalia was an enduring Roman festival dedicated to the agricultural god Saturn which was held between the 17th and 23rd of December each year during the winter solstice. Originating from archaic agricultural rituals the Roman festivities[…]