![roman saturnalia roman saturnalia](http://www.mmdtkw.org/saturnalia.gif)
![roman saturnalia roman saturnalia](https://miro.medium.com/max/1272/1*b-QQRqcoxj7V_9vd22Axdg.png)
That is, Christians desire to provide a spiritually positive alternative to what they perceive as a pagan celebration. The early motive for celebrating Jesus’ birth on December 25 may have been akin to that which inspires modern churches to hold “fall festivals” or “Bible costume parties” on October 31. Christians may have “redeemed” portions of the celebration. In reality, there’s some historical evidence suggesting that these events were reformed, absorbed, and transformed over time as a result of Christmas’s popularity overtaking that of Saturnalia. For instance, singing from house to house naked, feasting excessively, eating baked goods shaped like people, and exchanging bawdy gifts. To modern eyes, some Saturnalia customs come across as hedonistic perversions of Christmas traditions.
![roman saturnalia roman saturnalia](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1e/54/a5/1e54a59bd7441942df01aafba2f8021b.jpg)
Yet, for most of history, debauchery seems to dominate celebrations of the holiday in fact, the word Saturnalia became synonymous with immorality and carousing. Some accounts mention the rich paying rent for the poor, masters and slaves exchanging clothes, and so forth on Saturnalia. Interestingly, historical accounts differ about whether Saturnalia celebrations were examples of debauchery or charity. Saturnalia was a week-long Roman festival honoring the god Saturn since it started on December 17, it fell within what we now call the Christmas season. The early church did not celebrate December 25 as a day of any significance, and it wasn’t connected to the birth of Jesus until sometime during the reign of Constantine, several hundred years later. Christianity has always been aware that December 25 is almost certainly not the actual date of Jesus’ birth. There may be an ancient connection-not, however, for the reasons some skeptics assume. Saturnalia was known for gift giving, charity, and above all, feasting and merriment! So to celebrate, I dug into Apicius for some dulcia, or sweets recipes, to make a dessert plate worthy of both a festive Roman noble, and a chef and amateur historian thousands of years later.Christmas, the day on which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, is sometimes linked to the pagan festival known as Saturnalia. Many speculate that this was to Christianize Saturnalia, a holiday that many in Medieval Europe still celebrated despite the fading out of Rome. The actual date of Jesus’s birth is unknown, but in the 4th Century A.D., Pope Julius I declared it to officially be December 25th. No ancient holiday influenced Christmas more than the Roman Saturnalia. origins, and were later folded into the Christian celebration. Decorated trees, gift giving, holly, mistletoe, caroling, and much more all have ancient, B.C. It’s Christmas time! The true meaning of the holiday is complicated, and always has been, thanks to its mix and match ancient origins (yes, before the birth of Jesus).Įven though that famous nativity scene is the official reason for the holiday, many of the activities and traditions we practice at Christmastime come from much older customs celebrating the winter solstice.