Our modern secular Christmas traditions have a surprisingly close link to an ancient Roman holiday. Most of us have never heard of Saturnalia, but it turns out that for hundreds of years, the Romans’ favorite holiday was in December, celebrated with decorations, candles, gift giving, and big holiday parties. There was seasonal music. Some Roman writers complained that Saturnalia season was bleeding into November. It all sounds so familiar! Even Santa Claus has parallels to classic mythology. Here to give us insight on this are:
- Amy Vail, St. John Fisher professor
- David White, Baylor University professor