io saturnalia
As it is December 17, today we begin the celebration Saturnalia, the Roman festival for Saturn, god of the harvest, running through December 23, and landing, as most winter celebrations do, around the time of the winter solstice.
Saturnalia, of course, is the pagan observance from which many modern Christmas traditions are derived, including the prevalence of red and green decorations, hanging evergreens about, and the exchange of gifts. Also interesting is the tradition of treating slaves like masters for the duration of the festival, which is troublesome in modern parlance, but kind of cool in a historical context.
It’s also one of those interesting little barbs that gets thrown around during the annual modern holiday skirmishes, with “Keep the Saturn in Saturnalia” sometimes being employed as a response to the use of the passive-agressive “Merry Christmas” tribal challenge. This year’s most interesting action (so far) is in Pittman, NJ (home of a friend of mine) involving a billboard and political challenges.
So, Happy Saturnalia to all, as well as a reminder that winter holidays come in many forms, and that someone else’s is just as valid as yours, particularly since they’re all about being warm and comforting to one another at a dark time of the year, and are all kind of muddled together in terms of traditions anyway.
So, you know, be courteous and polite…that’s all I’m saying.
