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Modern Roman Saturnalia Festivities
Dec. 5th, 2024 10:11 am “Who knows not of the Golden Age of the carefree King? When no man subdued fields to his will or sowed grain in them or fended harmful weeds from the crops, which were to come when plenteous harvest filled the barns to last the year.” (Anonymous, Aenta)
Saturnalia, the most popular of Roman festivals, is a time of good feeling, gift giving and celebrating the returning sun. Lasting for seven days from 17 December to 24, this festival is wildly celebrated. People visit, feast, play games, and gamble. Normal restrictions of society are cast off, and drunkenness is encouraged.
The day before Saturnalia, I clean the Larium, the home altar. We all take showers to be clean for the coming festival. A part of Roman piety is cleanliness, which includes preparing for festivities.
The first day opens with the unwrapping of Saturn’s feet. In Ancient Rome, Saturn watched over the treasury. His feet was wrapped in woolen bands to prevent Him from leaving. If Saturn left, so did the treasury. (I use yarn for my Saturn’s feet.)
I make a morning sacrifice of pork. Later, I share a meal with Saturn in friendship. After shouting, “Io Saturnalia!” I begin to celebrate.
The second day opens with a bath. The pork is offered this time to the family Lars for helping the household. We also share a meal with Them. Later in the day, we play games such as Hearts. For the thrill of it all, we also buy lottery tickets.
On 19 December (the third day), we celebrate the Opalia to honor Ops, Saturn’s Consort. The Goddess of Abundance is honored for her part in the new harvest. One thing that we do is pray to Her while sitting on the earth. Our prayers are for peace, plenty, and protection.
Two other festivals that occur during Saturnalia are the Angeronalia (21 December) and the Larentalia (23 December). On the Winter Solstice, people pray to Angerona for relief from anxiety and pain. For the Larentalia, people honor Acca Larentia, whose lands become Rome.
Saturnalia is the time when people can speak their minds without having consequences. We have the “Airing of Grievances.” (Note 1) Everyone tells each other “what cheeses them off.” Afterwards, we have cookies to sweeten things again. (Baking cookies is something modern Romans do for Saturnalia.)
Since Saturnalia involves role-reversal, we have a day when we plot to smash the hierarchy. We wear Santa hats (which look like Roman pileus (Note 2)) and together ponder how to do that. We make fun of political leaders and imagine ourselves in their place.
Over the remaining days, we visit friends and have feasts. This goes with giving candles and other small gifts to each other. On the last day, Saturn’s feet are bound, and Saturnalia is officially over for another year.
Traditional decorations include garlands and wreaths. Houses are decorated red and gold, with hanging cutouts of suns, stars, and the faces of Janus. Outdoors, trees are decorated with food for the birds.
For traditional Roman foods, we feature pickled eggs and beets. Romans loved apples, so we serve them. Sausages were often given as gifts, so we serve them as well. For seasoning, peppercorns are heavily used in cooking the meals.
“Saturnus, our most sacred Father
By offering You, this incense
I pray good prayers so
That You be benevolent and propitious
To my friends, to me, to my household, and
To my family.”
(Cn. Cornelius Lentulus (Nova Roma))
Notes:
Note 1. This is similar to Festivus, which has the “Airing of the Grievances.” Festivus, created by Daniel O’Keefe, the writer in 1966, became well-known after being featured on the TV Show “Seinfeld.”
Note 2. Freed slaves wear the pileus. This cap became the symbol of Libertas, the Goddess of Liberty.
