Saturnalia: the first Christmas
Saturnalia
Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the agricultural God Saturn. It was held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and was later expanded with festivities through to 23 December, and even into the new year. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters even provided table service for their slaves.
In Roman paganism, Saturn was an agricultural deity who was said to have reigned over the world in the mythical Golden Age, when humans allegedly enjoyed the the wealth of the earth, without labor in a state of innocence. The festival was intended to win his favour in order for a bountiful harvest in the upcoming year.
Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters and the peasants controlled the city, a parallel to draw with the veneration of the aesthetically impoverished baby Jesus as the 'King of the Jews', and as God incarnate.
Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honouring the 'Children of Rome'. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock, as much of an impossibility as the virgin birth celebrated today. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year.
In Christianity's early life, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. However, the Bible does not mention date for his birth. Although the available evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring , Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia.
By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the 'lord of misrule' and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink.
Merry Saturnalia everybody, thank you all so much for your support, lots of new posts on the way.
Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the agricultural God Saturn. It was held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and was later expanded with festivities through to 23 December, and even into the new year. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters even provided table service for their slaves.
In Roman paganism, Saturn was an agricultural deity who was said to have reigned over the world in the mythical Golden Age, when humans allegedly enjoyed the the wealth of the earth, without labor in a state of innocence. The festival was intended to win his favour in order for a bountiful harvest in the upcoming year.
Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters and the peasants controlled the city, a parallel to draw with the veneration of the aesthetically impoverished baby Jesus as the 'King of the Jews', and as God incarnate.
Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honouring the 'Children of Rome'. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock, as much of an impossibility as the virgin birth celebrated today. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year.
In Christianity's early life, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. However, the Bible does not mention date for his birth. Although the available evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring , Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia.
By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the 'lord of misrule' and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink.
Merry Saturnalia everybody, thank you all so much for your support, lots of new posts on the way.
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| Painting depicting the Saturnalia |
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