He was fed acorns and pastured with the foaming boars. This pig will make your Saturnalia merry. Even when it is windy, you will by protected by your own awning. “Accept this parasol which can block even the intense sunlight. Let everyone give his guest an appropriate gift. “At this time of year, when the equestrians and senators show off their party clothes, and even the emperor wears a freedman’s cap, and the home-bred slave is not afraid to look straight at the aedile and shake the dice box (even though he sees the icy tanks so nearby), accept the gift you have drawn, whether from a poor or a rich man. In the late first century AD, Martial wrote about Saturnalia gift-giving in his Epigrams. Gifts were given to friends and family, sometimes by lot (something like secret Santa exchanges). Everyone wore freedman caps (felt hats given to slaves when they were freed), to show the freedom of the festivity and to represent equality, even if it was only for one day a year.
Often slaves were given a day off and there was a tradition of role-reversal, when masters would serve their slaves and give them gifts. Romans greeted each other with “Io Saturnalia” on the day. But even over thousands of years and the advent of Christianity, which absorbed a lot of Roman traditions, we can still see many vestiges of Roman customs and symbols in our own modern winter solstice celebrations. But I wonder if somewhere along the way he might have met up with Saint Nicholas and morphed into Santa as well.Īs the Roman Empire spread throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, their Saturnalia traditions spread too. Cronus, himself was often depicted as an old man with a beard and a scythe, much like our Father Time. Saturn was equated with the Greek god, Cronus, the father of Zeus. Saturnalia was the celebration in honour of Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture and seed sowing. Generosity and gift-giving extended even to slaves, as Cato the Elder, in the second century BC, prescribed just how much extra wine to give to slaves – almost twice as much as usual.
ROMAN SATURNALIA FREE
In the early days, when Rome was just a small city-state, they celebrated with a free public banquet followed by a religious ceremony at the temple of Saturn in the forum. Winter Mosaic from Bignor Villa, Britainĭecember 17 was the festival day of Saturnalia for the ancient Romans. Long before Christmas these traditions began. We have brought light to the darkness by giving gifts, spending time with family and friends, being kind to those less fortunate, and by overindulging. In the cold dark days around the winter solstice, when the sun stops traveling away from us and begins its return, we have always chosen to make merry. You, too, December, tipsy from so much wine, and laughing Good Cheer and wanton Joviality, come and be present.” “But you, Saturn, cast off your fetters and come near. Here is a repost of my Saturnalia story with some added photos of mosaics.
0 kommentar(er)
