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Saturnalia |
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Saturnalia: see Saturn Saturn, in Roman religion and mythology, god of harvests, later identified with the Greek Kronos. Little is known of the origins of his cult. His reign was regarded as the Golden Age. ..... Click the link for more information. , in Roman religion. Saturnalia an ancient Roman festival celebrated in December: renowned for its general merrymaking Saturnalia licentious December 17th feast honoring Saturn. [Rom. Myth.: Espy, 19] See : Debauchery Saturnalia December 17-23 This ancient Roman Winter Solstice festival began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held in honor of Saturn, the father of the gods, and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgotten; businesses, courts, and schools closed down; wars were interrupted or postponed; slaves were served by their masters; and masquerading or change of dress between the sexes often occurred. It was traditional to offer gifts of imitation fruit (a symbol of fertility), dolls (symbolic of the custom of human sacrifice), and candles (reminiscent of the bonfires traditionally associated with pagan solstice celebrations). Households would select a mock king to preside over the festivities, which were characterized by various kinds of excesses—giving rise to the modern use of the term saturnalian, meaning "a period of unrestrained license and revelry." SOURCES: AmerBkDays-2000, p. 804 BkDays-1864, vol. II, p. 745 DaysCustFaith-1957, p. 315 DictFolkMyth-1984, pp. 941, 974 DictWrldRel-1989, p. 182 EncyChristmas-2003, p. 711 EncyRel-1987, vol. 3, p. 98 FestRom-1981, p. 205 FestSaintDays-1915, p. 232 OxYear-1999, p. 501 RelHolCal-2004, p. 270 SaintFestCh-1904, p. 36 Celebration days: Dec 17 - Dec 23 Saturnalia in ancient Rome, the annual festival honoring Saturn. The holiday was celebrated after the harvest, during the winter solstice. The celebration was accompanied by a carnival, during which slaves became the equals of their masters and were even served by them and money was distributed to poor citizens. The ritual of the Saturnalia included the custom of presenting gifts to one another; this custom has been preserved in the rites of the Christian holiday of Christmas. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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