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Message:: [QUOTE="Bing, post: 3267573, member: 44132"]Happy Saturnalia, everyone! Or, as the Romans said, Io Saturnalia! I've extracted the following from internet sources.  It's just a summary of the Roman celebrations December 17th was the official start of Saturnalia in the Roman Empire, and for seven days the Roman world, and especially Rome itself, experienced what can only be described as a carnival atmosphere. Saturnalia was basically a winter solstice festival in honor of the god Saturn, the chthonic (of the earth) Roman god of seed sowing. The festival of Saturnalia was originally a single day, but eventually ran from December 17th to December 23rd, ending on the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, or the birthday of the Unconquerable Sun. The three days from December 17th to the 19th were considered to be legal holidays. The festivities began on December 17th with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn in the Forum. After the sacrifice, which may have been a suckling pig, there followed a grand public banquet, or convivium publicum, which was paid for by the state. A statue of Saturn was placed upon a couch for this event so that the god could preside over the festivities. As a festival of light, or the solstice, wax candles, or cerei, were lit everywhere and given as gifts. Another symbol of the season was holly, which was considered sacred to Saturn. Sprigs of this were also given as token gifts. Many other gifts were given at this time of year, mainly on December 19th, which was the day of the sigillaria, the day of gift-giving. In addition to the public celebrations of Saturnalia, the festivities continued at home. On December 18th and 19th, domestic rituals of the family were observed, such as bathing, and the common sacrifice of a suckling pig to Saturn. Gifts were given among the family on the day of the sigillaria, but also in the days to come. One interesting tradition was that the usual clothes worn by Romans, such as the toga or plain tunica, were discarded during Saturnalia in favor of colorful clothes known as synthesis, which were a mish-mash of patterns and colors. They were the Roman party clothes of Saturnalia! Along with the synthesis, Roman men also wore a felt or leather conical cap known as a pileus. Saturnalia was a time of role reversal, a time when the opposite of normal was acceptable. For instance, during Saturnalia gambling was permitted in public, with the stakes being either coins or, oddly enough, nuts! Overeating and drunkenness were common, as was guising, which was the wearing of masks or costumes to take on another persona. However, perhaps the most commonly known tradition of Saturnalia was the role reversal of masters and slaves. Traditionally, masters would serve their slaves a meal of the sort that they would usually enjoy, sigillaria would be given, and the slaves were even at liberty to insult their masters without fear of retribution. SO, Io Saturnalia to all[ATTACH=full]861060[/ATTACH] L CALPURNIUS PISO CAESONINUS & Q SERVILIUS CAEPIO ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS CALPURNIAAR DenariusOBVERSE:  Head of Saturn facing right, harpa and legend PISO behind, CAEPIO and symbol below, Q below chinREVERSE:  AD FRV EMV EX SC, the two quaestors seated left between 2 grain earsStruck at Rome 100 BC3.6g, 20mmCrawford 330/1a; Syd 6031 [/QUOTE]

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