Saturnalia is an ancient Roman religious festival honoring Saturn, who was pardoned after his expulsion from Olympus by Jupiter and subsequently regarded as a benevolent god of agricultural abundance.
The first documented Saturnalia was held in 497 BCE for the dedication of the Temple of Saturn in Rome. An annual festival commemorating the dies natalis (anniversary) of this event was held thereafter on December 17. The celebration proved so popular that it was extended to three days, then to an entire week - from December 17 to 23. There was a 24 hour break to take care of home and business - and then everyone went back to celebrating with the dies natalis (anniversary) of the dedication of the temple of Sol Invictus on December 25!
The religious observation of Saturnalia occurred on the first day of the festival. The monumental cult statue of Saturn was acrolithic, a composite of carved ivory over a wooden scaffold, shining with a coating of olive oil to help prevent the ivory from cracking, and draped with “garments” of gilded wood and/or cloth - air currents stirring the fabric would have created the illusion of the statue moving. The legs of the statue, which were bound with woolen bands for most of the year - again, it is speculated, to help prevent the ivory from cracking, though perhaps there was also a religious meaning - were unbound for the duration of the Saturnalia. After a religious procession to the Temple of Saturn and the proper rituals were performed, including a lectisternium, a ceremony in which a smaller statue of the god was placed upon a dining couch and offered food and drink as part of a banquet attended by Roman elites. The Saturnalia festival for the general public commenced following the completion of these solemnities.
The Saturnalia recalled the mythical Age of Saturn, when crops grew without human toil and humanity lived in harmony with nature and each other. Elements of the festival included days off from work and school, gatherings of family and friends, wearing brightly-colored garments, preparing and indulging in copious amounts of food and drink, playing games, attending theatrical and musical performances, giving gifts, decorating homes and businesses with garlands and wreaths of evergreens gleaming with sparkly ornaments, light from candles, lamps, torches, and bonfires - all of which probably sound at least a little familiar!
The reversal of normal societal roles was emblematic of Saturnalia: the emperor bestowed largess upon soldiers and the general populace, employers gave bonuses to workers, families with the means to do so gave food and clothing the poor, those with employed/enslaved workers played at being workers themselves by serving meals to the staff, and children were allowed to participate in “adult” activities such as attending theatrical performances and gambling with dice.
You’ll find some ideas for celebrating Saturnalia here and here.
If you’re able to do so, I hope you will continue the Saturnalia tradition of gifts and role-reversals by supporting your local food bank, shelter, or the charity of your choice by volunteering or making a donation.
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Featured Image Description: Saturn, fresco by Pietro Venale, Villa Giulia, Rome, Italy, circa 1552.
Image description: This is a Renaissance image done in imitation of the First Style of Pompeian wall painting. Saturn is depicted as an old man with white hair and a long white beard. He wears only a grey cloak, which swirls around his body, and holds a scythe aloft over his right shoulder with both hands so that the blade over his head points to his left.
Image source: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Villa_giulia,_portici_con_affreschi_di_pietro_venale_e_altri,_grottesche_02.jpg
Image license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
Remix: I cropped the image and applied filters to sharpen and remove noise.
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