Io, Saturnalia - The Best Of Days

The holiday of Saturnalia was the most popular of the Roman holidays and it lasted for 7 days from 17 - 23 Dec. This evening in the Roman city of Deva we celebrated Saturnalia albeit a day early.

Saturnus, the god of seed and growing was honoured at the time of the solstice when the farmers would have finished their autumn sowing.

Here is a description of what went on:
[During the holiday, restrictions were relaxed and the social order inverted. Gambling was allowed in public. Slaves were permitted to use dice and did not have to work. Instead of the toga, less formal dinner clothes (synthesis) were permitted, as was the pileus, a felt cap normally worn by the manumitted slave that symbolized the freedom of the season. Within the family, a Lord of Misrule was chosen. Slaves were treated as equals, allowed to wear their masters' clothing, and be waited on at meal time in remembrance of an earlier golden age thought to have been ushered in by the god. In the Saturnalia, Lucian relates that "During My week the serious is barred; no business allowed. Drinking, noise and games and dice, appointing of kings and feasting of slaves, singing naked, clapping of frenzied hands, an occasional ducking of corked faces in icy water?such are the functions over which I preside."i]

You can find the full text here.

We had dancing maidens from North Africa, but most probably they were just from north Manchester. With the temperature falling so rapidly the naked singing was put on hold. A great shame as that is my favourite part of the proceedings. Seemingly it is a Health and Safety thing!

Another couple of images here.