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Most of what we know about Saturnalia is through the works of the ancient Roman scribe Macrobius. He speaks of Saturnalia as a time of feasting, gift giving, public gambling (which was usually forbidden), and great merriment.

The festival itself honors the Roman God Saturn. Essentially a peaceful and jovial deity, his name Satur (gorged), or Sator (a sower) signifies abundance of the harvest. According to mythology, he was driven from the heavens by Jupiter and hid in the countryside. Eventually, he became King of Latium, and ruled there with his wife Ops. As a king, he brought prosperity and abundance to the kingdom, and was honored by having a festival day named in his honor. This later became a week long event at midwinter starting on Dec. 17.

During the week of Saturnalia celebration, the serious was barred, no business was allowed, and drinking, noise, games, singing and other rabble rousing activities were encouraged. The worship of Saturn included conventional sacrifices, and a lectisternium, a feasting couch set up for Saturn in from of his temple. The red wool ropes that bound his feet for the rest of the year were untied. Saturn may have been tied up during the rest of the year in order to prevent him, and the prosperity and abundance he represented from leaving Rome.

Besides being a rowdy, noisy event, Saturnalia was also a time to visit friends, give gifts of wax candles (to signify the returning of the Sun after solstice), and decorating homes with greenery. Candles and lamps were lit to chase away the spirits of darkness.

Schools, businesses, and courts of law were closed. Instead of the toga, more informal dinner clothing was allowed. The pilleus, a red felt cap worn by freed slaves in the Roman Empire; slaves whose masters had endowed them with freedom and whose descendants became fully-fledged Roman citizens, was worn even by household slaves, as a sign of the freedom of the season.

Each family chose a Lord of Misrule to oversee the chaos, and cross dressing, parties, and masquerades all were in vogue. Slaves were treated like equals, allowed to wear their master's clothing, and be waited upon by their master's at mealtime.

Eventually as Christianity spread throughout the world, and anything Pagan in origin was frowned upon, the Festival of Saturnalia was replaced by the Feast of the Nativity, which later became known as Christmas.

Some Pagans and Neo Pagans still celebrate the Festival of Saturnalia along with or instead of Yule celebrations.

Lo Saturnalia!

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