Today is the first day of Saturnalia. It was a celebration in honor of the Golden Age of Saturn and Ops. Ops, goddess of abundance, is an old Italian goddess of fertility. She is the wife of Saturn with whom she shared the temple on the Capitol. Offerings were made in the open space before the temple, and there was an outdoor banquet.
Unlike Christmas which seems to get longer every year (it’s up to two months by my count, but I work in retail… I’m jaded), Saturnalia was a week long celebration. For seven days (from December 17th to 23rd), schools and courts were closed, no criminals were punished, all work was stopped, and war was postponed. People exchanged presents, especially wax cerei (tapers) and sigillaria (dolls) and played games. The cerei in particular represented the returning light of the Solstice.
Saturnalia may have evolved from Persian and Egyptian holidays however. The Egyptians celebrated a solstice festival for twelve days, reflecting the twelve divisions in the sun calendar. They decorated with greenery of the area – palms with twelve shoots- as a symbol of the completed year. Palms were especially appropriate because they were thought to put forth a new shoot each month. The annual renewal festival of the Babylonians was adopted by the Persians as Sacaea.
One of the themes of these festivals, and later of Saturnalia, was the temporary upset of order. As the old year died, rules were relaxed. Everyone was considered equal and good will was extended to all. Slaves were treated as free men and were the first to be entertained at the banquet. They were served by their masters in recollection that under the rule of Saturn there had been no differences in social ranks. Gambling was allowed in public. Instead of the toga, less formal dinner clothes (synthesis) were permitted, as was the pileus, a felt cap normally worn by the liberated slave that symbolized the freedom of the season. Within the family, a Lord of Misrule was chosen. In the eastern provinces, mock kings was elected with bean lots and issued silly orders.
Unlike Christmas which seems to get longer every year (it’s up to two months by my count, but I work in retail… I’m jaded), Saturnalia was a week long celebration. For seven days (from December 17th to 23rd), schools and courts were closed, no criminals were punished, all work was stopped, and war was postponed. People exchanged presents, especially wax cerei (tapers) and sigillaria (dolls) and played games. The cerei in particular represented the returning light of the Solstice.
Saturnalia may have evolved from Persian and Egyptian holidays however. The Egyptians celebrated a solstice festival for twelve days, reflecting the twelve divisions in the sun calendar. They decorated with greenery of the area – palms with twelve shoots- as a symbol of the completed year. Palms were especially appropriate because they were thought to put forth a new shoot each month. The annual renewal festival of the Babylonians was adopted by the Persians as Sacaea.
One of the themes of these festivals, and later of Saturnalia, was the temporary upset of order. As the old year died, rules were relaxed. Everyone was considered equal and good will was extended to all. Slaves were treated as free men and were the first to be entertained at the banquet. They were served by their masters in recollection that under the rule of Saturn there had been no differences in social ranks. Gambling was allowed in public. Instead of the toga, less formal dinner clothes (synthesis) were permitted, as was the pileus, a felt cap normally worn by the liberated slave that symbolized the freedom of the season. Within the family, a Lord of Misrule was chosen. In the eastern provinces, mock kings was elected with bean lots and issued silly orders.
December 17th
This is the Santeria festival of Babaluaiye, honoring Babalu who punishes people with smallpox, leprosy and other viral afflictions. Babaluaiye means “father of the world.” Babalu represents the results or diseases of overindulgence and excesses, demanding moderation and humility in all things. Babalu is the wrath of the earth and will punish those that disrespect it. He is associated with both with inoculation and immunization, providing the means to cure disease or cause it. His color is royal purple, and he is identified with people who have broken or missing limbs, derelicts, beggars, and with those who have been abandoned and forgotten by society.
The Netjers of Heaven received Ra on the 2nd day of Mechir.
