Saturnalia | The First Holiday Season

Every December, gifts are purchased, wreaths are carefully hung on front doors, and carols are sung. While all of this seems to scream “Christmas,” there is actually another much older holiday we likely have to thank for these traditions: Saturnalia.

What Is Saturnalia?

Saturnalia was one of the most popular holy days or holidays celebrated in ancient Rome. It honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, and was closely tied to the winter solstice, which occurred on December 25.  

The days-long festival allowed Romans a break from the everyday grind and offered a wonderfully chaotic experience. Those who were on the bottom of the social ladder got to act as rulers for a few days.

What did a Saturnalia celebration look like?

The pagan holiday started as a single day of praise for Saturn. However, by 133 B.C., it had turned into a weeklong festival, spanning December 17 through the winter solstice on the 25th. 

Imagine Saturnalia as a Christmas vacation for everyone. Schools, businesses, and governmental buildings were all paused for the week. People hung up their traditional white togas and pulled out colorful, festive clothing to wear instead. 

The occasion was referred to as “the feast of liberation,” meaning many social standards were loosened for this week. For example, the only time of year Romans could gamble was during Saturnalia. Even enslaved people were given the week off and invited to celebrate and dine with their masters. 

During this time of liberation, the Romans decided that each home needed someone to rule over the chaos — while also creating mischief like insulting guests and chasing women. To decide who this ruler would be, a fava bean was placed into cake batter. 

Whoever got the bean in their slice won the opportunity to be “king for the day.” This opportunity was often only presented to the lower class members of a household, as it wouldn’t be much fun for the usual head to find the bean. 

This tradition of “king’s cake” is still popular today, though it’s sometimes celebrated around Mardi Gras. Yet, in many parts of the world, like Portugal, cake with a fava bean is still served around Christmas time. In Portuguese culture, the person who gets the bean in their slice has the honor of baking the king’s cake (also called Bolo-Rei) the following year. 

How did Christmas come to mirror Saturnalia?

For many people, Christmas Day celebrates Jesus’ day of birth. Most of us can likely recite the Nativity story: a very pregnant Mary and Joseph couldn’t find a room in Bethlehem, so Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable. 

However, it turns out that the Bible doesn’t actually give a date for Jesus’ birth. Some theologists believe his birthdate to be in spring, closer to Easter, which is backed up by references to sheep and shepherds in the story. 

The choice of December 25 as Jesus’ birthday likely comes down to the Roman Empire trying to keep peace — and strengthen — their growing empire. 

The pagans and Christians in Rome

As Rome expanded its empire over the years, it was conscious of not entirely shutting down the conquered people’s culture and beliefs. Instead, it blended Roman pagan ideas with the locals’ traditions, leading to different variations of belief systems and celebrations throughout the Empire.

While Rome officially adopted Christianity in 325 CE, they maintained this idea of merging the new beliefs with the old ways of the pagan gods that many Romans still worshipped. 

Since Saturnalia was many people’s favorite holiday, the Roman leaders chose to continue celebrating it — though they did slowly shift the focus away from Saturn into a general celebration that lifted spirits during the middle of winter. Associating Jesus’ birth with Christmas came shortly after. 

Saturnalia-Based Traditions

The Romans clearly understood the importance of traditions; many of us today view the holidays as a prime time for recreating modern traditions, whether playing a favorite Christmas song or baking a special dish with our family. 

It turns out that we can thank Saturnalia for some of the most loved Christmas practices. 

Gift giving

During this time of freedom and play, Romans feasted and enjoyed each other’s company. Just like today, one way that they showed how much they cared for their loved ones was through gift-giving. 

One of the most popular gifts was a candle, called cerei, which symbolized light returning after the winter solstice. 

Another common present was a terracotta figurine called signillaria. These may have been a callback to the rituals of the past, which included human sacrifice. 

Wreaths

The fresh evergreen scent from a wreath instantly evokes images of Christmas. Yet, wreath-making has a much longer history. 

During Saturnalia, Romans would decorate their houses with very specific foliage: 

• Holly (the sacred plant of Saturn)
• Fir (to honor Faunus, Saturn’s grandson) 
• Ivy (in honor of Ops, Saturn’s wife)

The woven branches came to symbolize friendship, luck, and life for the Roman people. 

Crackers 

While they’re not as popular in the United States, Christmas crackers are a staple around the English table. And no, these aren’t crackers you eat with cheese.

Crackers are colorfully wrapped cardboard paper tubes. Before digging into their Christmas feast, everyone around the table pulls out a cracker. With one hand holding one end of their cracker and the other hand on their neighbor’s cracker, the group all pull on the count of three — igniting a small burst of “pops” from the crackers. 

Inside each tube is a colorful paper hat that every self-respecting Brit (including royalty!) wears throughout the meal. 

So why a hat? This goes back to the day of Saturnalia. During the cold winter months, Romans were worried that evil spirits were threatening the sun. To protect themselves — and thereby the sun — Romans would disguise themselves as devils to scare off the “real” ones. 

Their disguises included masks and, you guessed it, hats. They even wore special cone-shaped hats for Saturnalia. 

Caroling 

Music is an important part of any holiday get-together. Whether it’s Bing Crosby or Ariana Grande, nearly every major artist has released a Christmas song at one point or another. 

There are people who take Christmas music to the next level: caroling around neighborhoods as they sing their favorite songs. This is reminiscent of the Romans, who also took to the streets to sing songs during Saturnalia. 

Christmas cards

Christmas cards are a common sight to see in mailboxes during the holiday season. Personal notes are often written within the folds, updating loved ones about what transpired over the previous year.

In the days of Saturnalia, the Romans had their own version of Christmas cards they’d give out. Instead of brightly decorated cards, they’d gift verses to their friends and families. 

The 25 Days of Christmas

While Saturnalia likely laid the foundation for many Christmas traditions, it also opened the door for the many tales of Christmas that have been told over the centuries. There are, of course, the joyful characters of Christmas we’re all familiar with, like Santa Claus and his elves. 

Then, there are darker legends, such as Krampus and Frau Perchta. To learn about some of the lesser-known lore related to Christmas, check out our blog and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Sources: 

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/saturnalia

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/members-area/kids/kids-christmas/saturnalia#:~:text=During%20the%20Saturnalia%20festival%2C%20wax,gifts%2C%20sang%20and%20shared%20tales.

https://as.virginia.edu/candles-pomegranates-and-lanterns-celebrating-lesser-known-winter-holidays

https://www.ecotoursportugal.com/en/travel-blog/portugal-4/taste-it-bolo-rei-the-traditional-christmas-cake-282#:~:text=The%20Bolo%2DRei%20is%20one,this%20cake%20symbolizes%20the%20incense.

https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-christmas-in-december

https://www.academuseducation.co.uk/post/how-saturnalia-became-christmas-the-transition-from-ancient-to-present

https://www.britishmuseum.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Membership_Craft_Activities_Wreath.pdf

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Christmas-Crackers/

https://books.google.com/books?id=yBP8a2jJ9A4C&printsec=frontcover&vq=%22The+Winter+Solstice%22&source=gbs_citations_module_r&cad=1#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Winter%20Solstice%22&f=false