1. Io Saturnalia!
That holiday you had no idea everyone was celebrating for the last 2500 years

2. Celebrate the Return of the Sun

3. Winter Solstice Earth's Orbit
Summer Sun
is high
65º max
at noon at
Latitude 48.5
Winter Sun
is low
18º max
at noon at
Latitude 48.5º
Solstice means the “sun stops” and reverses direction
A turning point in the seasons

4. Winter Solstice Celebrations
Theme: Light, salvation, rebirth, renewal
Saturnalia -Sol Invictus - 25 December
Christmas – Birth of Messiah – 25 December
Yuletide - Pre-Christian, Northern European– Christmas tree, Yule log, red & green, mistletoe
St Nicholas –Sinterklass - Santa Claus
New Years Day, Halcyon Days
Santa Lucia – Crown of Candles
Hanukkah – rededication – Festival of Lights the Menorah

5. What is Saturnalia?
The Roman festival honoring Saturn, god of seeds and planting (Kronos in Greek)
Also honors Ops, Saturn’s consort and goddess of abundance (Opalia)
Consus, god of the storage bin, was another favorite of the Romans (Consualia)

7. When was Saturnalia? Actually that’s a good question…
Officially Dec. 17th
Originally it was only one day, but people liked it so much it kept starting earlier and lasting longer.. (sound familiar?)
When Julius Caesar added 2 days to December to fix the calendar, naturally they just made the party longer

8. Festival fit for a Titan
By Cicero’s time, it went 7 days, from 17th to 23rd and culminated on Winter Solstice on the 25th
Emperor Augustus limited it to 3 days to minimize disruption, but it expanded back to 5 days under Emperor Caligula

9. Party like it’s 99 (BC)
Festival began with sacrifices at the Temple of Saturn, followed by a public banquet
Then the party really started… Catullus describes it as "the best of days," and Seneca complains that the "whole mob has let itself go in pleasures."

10. Stop me if this sounds familiar…
Romans decorated their homes with garlands of greenery and ribbon of red or purple
Trees and indoor plants were decorated with garlands, ribbons, and treats
Human-shaped baked goods took the place of ancient human sacrifice

11. Ugly Toga Parties
Romans delighted in garish clothing of bright colors and gaudy jewelry
Gifts were given to friends, especially beeswax candles (cerei), which symbolized the returning light of the unconquered sun (Sol Invictus)
Many revelers roamed the streets, singing lusty songs (not uncommonly naked)

12. Switch
The most popular part of the festival was role reversal: slaves could gamble and eat with their masters
They would also wear the symbol of freed slaves, the pileus. It was a soft, floppy hat, often in bright colors like red.

13. Yup, that’s right.

14. So what happened?
When Christianity became the official religion of Rome, the people refused to give up their festivals (imagine if you suddenly lost winter break)
The church was forced to compromise; in the 4th century, Saturnalia and its customs were incorporated into the newly-assigned date for Christmas: December 25th (Winter Solstice, not so coincidentally)

15. Well, nothing’s perfect
The wild Roman parties weren’t exactly what the church wanted in a solemn holiday. In the Middle Ages, gift-giving was even banned at Christmas because it was “too pagan.”
Eventually things settled down, leaving behind a confusing mish-mash of customs jammed into a single holiday.

16. But I bet you’ll look at carolers differently from now on
But I bet you’ll look at carolers differently from now on. "For how many years shall this festival abide! Never shall age destroy so holy a day! While the hills of Latium remain and father Tiber, while your Rome stands and the Capitol you have restored to the world, it shall continue."
Statius, 1st century AD

17. Write 3 Saturnalia cards
Draw any symbol of Roman culture.
Write 1 Saturnalia Fact
1. Write a wish in Latin/English
E.g. Volo (I wish) Te (you)…..
Use a Latin verb or an object