Happy Saturnalia!
The historical roots of holidays are fascinating to me. Even the word "holiday" has an obvious but interesting root: "Holy Day."
The one known as Christmas and now celebrated all over the world seems to have roots in an ancient Roman festival called Saturnalia. It seems to go back farther than recorded history as it was, at its core, a celebration by agriculturalists of the winter solstice and the end of the harvest season..
"Originally celebrated on December 17, Saturnalia was extended first to three and eventually to seven days. The date has been connected with the winter sowing season, which in modern Italy varies from October to January. Remarkably like the Greek Kronia, it was the liveliest festival of the year."
Traditions of Saturnalia that have been incorporated into Christmas include gift-giving, decorating homes with evergreen boughs, and a general atmosphere of merryment.
Here are a couple more interesting web sites about the holiday:
https://www.getty.edu/news/the-wild-holiday-that-turned-ancient-rome-upside-down/
https://penelope.uchicago.edu/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/saturnalia.html
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