Oh, I hear it too—Christmas really is already in the air. Now, I love this period of Yuletide happiness, but I am also a stout believer in the idea that all traditions come from somewhere. If you don’t know where something comes from, how can you love (or hate) it? Christmas in my house has always been pillared by traditions, big and small. So today I’d like to share with you one of the pillars of Christmas itself so you can better know where it is believed it comes from—the ancient festival of Saturnalia.

Saturnalia was the biggest bash in town back when the Roman Empire was large and in charge. The most popular festival by far, it was dedicated to celebrating the god Saturn, the deity devoted to agriculture and harvest, by getting down and getting festive.

In all honesty, Saturnalia was pretty cool—despite being in the middle of the time of slaves. Lasting seven days and seven nights, from December 17th to 24th, all work and business was cancelled. Certain moral restrictions were lessened or lifted; frivolity was not only encouraged, but mandatory. Even slaves were lifted of their typical responsibilities, often being invited to the table for dinner, and allowed to speak their mind. Some slave owners would even turn the tables—serving their servants lightly throughout the week.

Think Mardi Gras, but with an added twist of our familiar Yuletide traditions—greetings in the streets, high spirits. A mock king from the streets was chosen for the week, and as the week drew to a close, gifts were exchanged. Typically, these gifts would be made of wax: candles, figurines, and fruit models were all popular options.

One of the last traditions of Saturnalia was the invitation of Saturn himself to join the fun. Usually, the cult statue of Saturn stood bound by the ankles with woolen bands, but for the festival, these were cut. Almost as if the Romans wanted him to step out and get crazy with them.

              So, what can we learn from this proto-Christmas tradition? Here’s my list.

1.       Cut loose a little. December is a serious time full of exams, family stressors, and financial insanity. Make things a little easier on yourself and have some fun.

2.       Put your business to the side (if you can).

3.       Treat someone with a little extra kindness, even if you normally wouldn’t.

4.       Give something—no matter how small or inconsequential.

5.       Let someone else, maybe someone you normally wouldn’t, join the fun.

Now, it’s at this point in the post that I have to warn you: most scholars will not confirm that Christmas is connected to Saturnalia. But with core values like the five above being heavily featured in both holidays, I don’t super-duper think that matters. If you’re going to take anything from this article, take the lessons.

And in all honesty, no matter what you celebrate, I think Saturnalia has some great tips for you and your loved ones. Let’s help each other through the dark winter months this year by saying hello, letting the crazy roll off, and show a little extra kindness.

Good karma never hurt nobody, now did it?

If you’d like to learn more about other winter solstice traditions, check this out!

Shannon Morrow

Shannon Morrow is always curious, and as a result, loves knowing all sorts of things. A second year professional writing student, she enjoys telling people about her weird dreams, birds and trying to learn how to cook- that one isn’t going too well. And yeah, she knows her glasses make her look like a beetle sometimes. Roll with it.