What did pagans do during Saturnalia?
Before the end of the fourth century, many of the traditions of Saturnalia—including giving gifts, singing, lighting candles, feasting and merrymaking—had become absorbed by the traditions of Christmas as many of us know them today.
What is the story behind Saturnalia?
Saturnalia was the Roman equivalent to the earlier Greek holiday of Kronia, which was celebrated during the Attic month of Hekatombaion in late midsummer. It held theological importance for some Romans, who saw it as a restoration of the ancient Golden Age, when the world was ruled by Saturn.
What replaced Saturnalia?
This festival was more specifically religious than the general merriment of Saturnalia, and it is noted that Constantine, the first Christian emperor, was brought up in the cult of the Sun, so it is possible that the date of Christmas was designed to replace this festival specifically rather than the more ambiguous …
What year did Saturnalia end?
Saturnalia, celebrated from December 17 to 23, is an ancient Roman festival and holiday held to celebrate the agricultural god Saturn….Saturnalia dates.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | December 17 | Saturday |
| 2023 | December 17 | Sunday |
| 2024 | December 17 | Tuesday |
| 2025 | December 17 | Wednesday |
How is Saturnalia like Christmas?
Just like Christmas, Saturnalia started as a religious holiday, honoring the god Saturn, thought to oversee sowing and planting. By the later days of the Roman Empire, the holiday was seen as just an occasion for revelry with its religious origins all but forgotten.
How is Saturnalia different from Christmas?
Saturnalia (detail) by Antoine Callet, 1783.It was a public holiday celebrated around December 25th in the family home. A time for feasting, goodwill, generosity to the poor, the exchange of gifts and the decoration of trees. But it wasn’t Christmas. This was Saturnalia, the pagan Roman winter solstice festival.