WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE CARNAVAL CELEBRATION?

http://www.carnaval.com/saturnalia/ http://www.carnaval.com/saturnalia/ Ho me Rom an Gre ek Diony sos Isi s Dionysus v. Apollo Initiati on Wi ne Orph eus Rev els Patras Car nival THIS PAGE Mock King Merry-making Traditions Sigillaria Links Myth An Ancient Age Roots of the Christmas Tree Orgy Associated Festivals Mithraism Rural Dionysia THE FESTIVAL OF THE SIGILLARIA gift giving tradition The festival of the sigillaria, or terra- cotta seals was the last day of the Saturnalia. Romans T HE C ARNAVAL C ELEBRATION THAT BECAME C HRISTMAS & N E W Y E AR 'S E VE The customary greeting for the occasion is "Io, Saturnalia!" ² io (pronounced "yo") being a Latin interjection related to "ho" (as in "Ho, praise to Saturn" Saturn: Italian drawn work, from an embroidery pattern book of 1587 I t is now the month of December, when the greatest part of the city is in a bustle. Loose reins are given to public dissipation; everywhere you may hear the sound of great preparations, as if there were some real difference between the days devoted to Saturn and those for In pagan Rome, the celebration of the Winter Solstice began on December 17 with the feast of Saturn -- also called the Saturnalia. Through December 23rd, the Roman world engaged in merrymaking and the exchanging of gifts in honor of father sun and mother earth./font> The Saturnalia festival has an astronomical character, referring to the completion of the sun¶s yearly course, and the commencement of a new cycle. Saturn, from whom we get the word for the day of the week, Saturday, represented by the sun at its lowest aspect at the winter solstice. The earth is cold, most plants are dead, and it was believed that the sun might also be approaching death. Today winter solstice is around December 21, but because of calendar changes, it was originally December 25th. Saturnalia celebrated the sun overcoming the power of winter, with hope of spring when life would be renewed.