Celebrate the Saturnalia Festival

Celebrate the Saturnalia Festival For how many years shall this festival abide! Never shall age destroy so holy a day! While the hills of Latium remain and father Tiber, while thy Rome stands and the Capitol thou hast restored to the world, it shall continue.- Saturnalia Conspicuous Consumption in Saturnalia as in Christmas Around Christmas, its often difficult to separate commerce from religion. I want to do something different this year. Put up something other than a Christmas tree and creche to which the wooden wise men move nearer each day. Maybe Ill wear a funny peaked cap, buy my friends beeswax candles useful gifts in the event of a power failure, let my son (as Lord of Misrule) plan the day, and just maybe Ill celebrate it early... on December 17, the day of the Saturnalia. The Increasing Period of Saturnalia Celebration This Saturnalia problem may sound familiar. After all, stores put out their Christmas merchandise before Halloween these days. The Saturnalia was originally celebrated in Ancient Rome for only a day, but it was so popular it soon lasted a week, despite Augustus efforts to reduce it to three days, and Caligulas, to five. Like our Christmas, this important holy day (feriae publicae) was for more than fun and games. Saturnalia was a time to honor the god of sowing, Saturn. But again, like our Christmas, it was also a festival day (dies festus) on which a public banquet was prepared. An effigy of the god was probably one of the guests. Saturnalia Was the Best Part of the Roman Year The poet Catullus describes Saturnalia as the best of days. It was a time of celebration, visits to friends, and gift-giving, particularly of wax candles (cerei), and earthenware figurines (sigillaria). The best part of the Saturnalia (for slaves) was the temporary reversal of roles. Masters served meals to their slaves who were permitted the unaccustomed luxuries of leisure and gambling. Clothing was relaxed and included the peaked woollen cap that symbolized the freed slave, which looks an awful lot like Santa Clauss peaked red hat . A member of the familia (family plus slaves) was appointed Saturnalicius princeps, roughly, Lord of Misrule. Celebrate the Saturnalia in the 21st Century Im not alone in my desire to do something... old. Biblioteca Arcana and Nova Roma offer suggestions for turning December 17 into a celebration of Saturnalia. Bringing trees indoors to decorate is a modern custom. Nova Roma suggests decorating outdoor trees with sun and star symbols  and using swathes of greenery over doorways, windows, and on people. But Nova Roma emphasizes that decorations are secondary to revelry, feasting, drinking, merry-making, pranks, and gift-giving of Saturnalia. If you can get your friends and neighbors in the spirit, wrangle a parade permit from your municipality so you can dance (like a Roman) in the street. Biblioteca Arcanas suggestions are for celebrating the religious aspects of the Saturnalia and its two adjoining holidays, the Opalia for Saturns wife, Ops, goddess of plenty, and the Consualia for Consus, god of the storage bin. The site provides a complete ritual with an equipment list, information on preparation, location, timing, the banquet, and the conclusion. Io Saturnalia! Also see: Saturnalia Article