Saturnalia: The Ancient Roman Festival

Jen Sequel
Dec 17, 2025
3 min read

Every December, when the nights stretch long and the world leans into the glow of candles, feasts, and celebration, I love looking back at the winter traditions that came long before us. One of the most vibrant — and honestly, the most chaotic in the best possible way — is Saturnalia, Ancient Rome’s week-long festival for Saturn, the god of agriculture, liberation, and golden-age abundance.

If you’ve ever wondered why winter is so full of feasting, gift-giving, and joyful rebellion…well, Saturnalia walked so Christmas could run.

Let’s step into Rome for a moment and explore the festival that shaped so much of our winter spirit.

Ancient Roman ruins with tall stone columns under a cloudy sky. People exploring the site, surrounded by greenery and historic structures. — Ruins of the Temple of Saturn (eight columns on right) in Rome, traditionally said to have been constructed in 497 BC.

Originally held on December 17th, Saturnalia eventually stretched into a full week of celebration ending around December 23rd. It marked the end of sowing season and honored Saturn — a powerful deity tied to the mythic Golden Age, when peace, equality, and prosperity ruled.

Saturn wasn’t just a god; he represented a world humans remembered with longing: a time without kings, laws, or hierarchy… because life was so abundant no one needed them.

Saturnalia was Rome’s way of inviting that energy back for a few wild, beautiful days each winter.

A Festival of Reversal: When Rome Turned Upside Down

One of the most iconic parts of Saturnalia was its role reversals.

For one week:

Slaves were served by their masters
Social hierarchies dissolved
People exchanged clothing
Mock kings ruled over parties
The strict Roman formality relaxed into joyful misrule

The idea wasn’t chaos — it was remembrance. A reminder of the Golden Age when everyone was equal under Saturn’s generous rule.

Rome loved order… but it also loved giving itself permission to break the rules once in a while.

Feasting, Wreaths, Candles & Revelry

Saturnalia was loud, bright, and full of indulgence.

Homes were decorated with evergreen wreaths, garlands, and candles.
Gambling — normally frowned upon — became fully legal for the week.
Friends and families hosted long, extravagant feasts.
Public banquets spilled into the streets.
Music, dancing, jokes, and games were constant.

If you’ve ever had a holiday season that feels like one long, cozy blur of food and laughter, you’re experiencing an echo of Saturnalia.

The Gift-Giving Tradition

Romans exchanged gifts called sigillaria — small, symbolic tokens of luck, light, and connection.

Popular choices included:

candles (for returning light)
figurines
good-luck charms
sweets

This is one of the clearest bridges between Saturnalia and Christmas. Gift-giving wasn’t originally a Christian tradition — it was a Saturnalian one, later woven into new winter celebrations.

The “King of Saturnalia”

Romans in ornate attire pull back a curtain to reveal a dramatic scene in a grand hall. Busts line the walls, adorned in rich colors. — *Ave, Caesar! Io, Saturnalia!* (1880) by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. The painting's title draws a comparison between the spontaneous declaration of Claudius as the new emperor by the Praetorian Guard after the assassination of Caligula and the election of a *Saturnalicius princeps.*

At each celebration, revelers elected a Saturnalicius Princeps, or “King of Saturnalia.”

This wasn’t a noble or a leader — usually it was someone of lower status, chosen by chance.

Their job?

give silly orders
spark laughter
keep the party going
encourage rule-breaking (harmless rule-breaking, but still)

Think of it like a holiday trickster spirit presiding over the festivities.

Saturnalia’s Influence on Christmas & Winter Holidays

Saturnalia didn’t simply disappear; its traditions blended into the winter celebrations that followed.

Some of the strongest influences:

Timing: Saturnalia + the solstice + the festival of Sol Invictus shaped the choice of December 25th.
Gift-giving: adopted into later Christian celebrations.
Feasting & festivity: echoes strongly in Christmas dinners and New Year gatherings.
Decorations: wreaths, candles, greenery, and light symbolism are all Saturnalian roots.
Joy & misrule: think Christmas crackers, office parties, playful traditions — all Saturnalia flavored.

Even today, when the world slows down and becomes a little more joyful, a little more indulgent, and a little more connected, we’re still honoring those ancient Roman nights.

Saturnalia wasn’t just a party. It was a ritual of release, renewal, and reminding — a celebration of equality, abundance, and the simple joy of being human together.

In the deepest part of winter, it invited people to: