DShomshak Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 In the Before Times, my oldest sister hosted our family's Christmas. Every year, she chose a different cultural theme: Norwegian Christmas, Polish Christmas, South African Christmas, etc. Her last was IMO the best: Saturnalia, the Roman predecessor to Christmas. We had a Saturnalia feast, somewhat modified (vegetarian, and no vomiting in a tub to make room for more feasting). She handed out swag bags of traditional Roman gifts. She made a mix tape (well, CD) of suitable music to play during dinner. There were even a couple pages about the Roman attitudes to Saturnalia. We love being nerds! Here is the menu and other material, to help you conduct your own Saturnalia. Enjoy! Incidentally, as part of the research my sister read a book on the history of Christmas. One thing she found: A standard part of Christmas is to claim it used to be better. Even the Romans would opine that people had forgotten the True Meaning of Saturnalia. Dean Shomshak Pariah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShomshak Posted December 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Roman dinner guests got menus. Here is ours — a proper meal, "from eggs to apples." (Nota Bene: My sister’s family is vegetarian, so not everything is quite as it would have been in ancient Rome… But close.) AB OVO... PATINA OVI Laura's egg lasagne TOFULLUM ASSUM roast toficken PULS HORDFUM Barley LENTICULA ET TOMACULUM lentils and sausage CAROTAE carrots (orange carrots weren't invented yet) ACETARIA CAULIS Greek style cole slaw PANEM, BUTYRUM, CICER, DULCIA CITREUM bread, butter, chickpea dip, citron preserves CARDUI, OLIVAE artichokes, olives GLIRES (mock) dormice, a great Roman delicacy MUSTACEI traditional spice cakes, the Roman version of gingerbread. It wouldn't be Saturnalia without mustacei. LATERCULI filled cookie "birds" DULCIA SESAME Sesame candy ENKYTHAI honey cake GLYKINAI grapej uice crackers DACTYLOS ALEXANDRINE stuffed dates, sweet-and-salties CASEUS Cheese NUCES Nuts MALA GRANATA, MALA pomegranates, apples ...USQUE AD MALUM AQIJA, LAC. VINUM water, milk, and best Falemianwine (or, you know, sparkling cider and cran-raz juice) Dean Shomshak Lawnmower Boy, drunkonduty and Cancer 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShomshak Posted December 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 YOUR SATURNALIA SWAG BAG Some traditional Saturnalia presents were… —a ring (we used ring pops) —a pen —a towel —soap (we had scented soap made by my niece) —dried fruit —a candle —“dentifricium” (tooth powder; modern version would be toothpaste) —tying up gifts with a purple or wine-red cord or yarn is traditional Dean Shomshak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShomshak Posted December 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 SATURNALIA MIX TAPE Since there are no actual “Saturnalia Carols,” my sister made do with a medley of ancient music and modern pastiches of ancient music. (Sorry, I don't have links to post, but my sister says she found it all online.) 1) Comedy Tonight (Stephen Sondheim, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, covered by the Muppets; the musical is an homage to the comedies of Plautus) 2) Fanfare I (Ludi Romani 2011) 3) The Feast of Saturnalia (Ashmolean Latin Inscriptions Project, Oxford University; a Saturnalia version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”) 4) The Well-tuned Lyre (Michael Levy) 5) Kyrie Eleison (Ensemble Organum; from the Old Roman Christmas Liturgy) 6) Ambrosian Kyrie (ManuelaSchenale) 7) Epithalarnio tis Sapfo/Sappho's Wedding Song (Aulites, Petros Tabouris) 9) Gladiatrices, Imperator (Musica Romana) 9) Ambrosian Pater Noster (Collegium Vocale Bundang) 10) Risus Sativus (Musica Romana) 11) Ambrosian Alleluia (Fauvel Consort) 12) Gladiatores (Musica Romana) 13) Dum Pater Familias/Hymn of Saint James the Greater (Ensemble Organum; Mozarabic chant) 14) Ancient Greek Tune (Ensemble de Organographia) 15) Ainete ton Kyrion/Praise the Lord (Psalm 148) (Greek Byzantine choir) 16) lbunt Sancti (Tim Rayborn; "believed to be" from old Celtic chant) 17) Phos Hilaron/Hail Gladdening Light (anon., the oldest known Christian hymn outside the Bible) 18) Tuba Sonant (Musica Romana) 19) Hymn to Helios (Musica Romana) 20) Homeric poem (Musica Romana—poem set to music in medieval times) 21) Miholidios (Amonia—featuring Phrygian pipe) 22) Hymn to Nemesis (Musica Romana; a bubbly tune about the Goddess of Vengeance, because what’s not cheerful about the arrogant and powerful being humbled?) 22b) Faunus (Musica Romana) 23) Ornithes tou Aristophane/chorus from Aristophanes' "Birds" (Aulites, Petros Tabouris) 24) Hurrian Hymn (Michael Levy—world's oldest sheet music, circa 1400 BC; played on the banjo, similar to the ancient lute) 25) Trochaic Fragment (Ensemble de Organographia; from 3rd century) 26) Epitaph of Seikilos (Gareth Coker; this is the world's oldest song, i.e. words and music, from the 2nd century. We used the cover from the Minecraft video game!) 27) The Rescue of Philia; Into the Chase (Stephen Sondheim, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) Dean Shomshak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShomshak Posted December 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 RES SOPHISTA (nerdy stuff) "... the last age has come... again the great millennial aeon dawns... Kind Saturn reigns; and from high heaven descending comes a new offspring... smile softly on this babe. For in his time the age of iron shall cease and golden generations fill the world." (from Virgil's Fourth Eclogue, circa 40 BCE) The Romans were waiting for a savior— a child who would become a divinely chosen king and bring in the new Age of Saturn, of peace and equality. To the devout, this was the True Meaning of Saturnalia. When Christianity arrived in Rome, the Roman Christians naturally felt that Jesus was the "heaven-sent babe" bringing in the new age. It was logical to celebrate his birthday on Saturnalia. Their beloved Saturnalia customs became Christmas customs: feasting and gift-giving, candles and holly. (The Romans even decorated Saturnalia trees outdoors, like American community trees, not in the living room. Still, fancy trees.) The little clay manger scene on the end table has its own history. If we believe the internet, manger scenes have been documented to the time of imperial Rome... and popular Saturnalia gifts were miniature clay figures, their version of Precious Moments figurines. And as you may know, all the men wore pointy hats (freedmen's caps) to symbolize equality. So bring on the Santa hats. Dean Shomshak Lawnmower Boy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShomshak Posted December 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 INSPIRATIONAL READINGS "It is now the month of December, when the greatest part of the city is in a bustle... everywhere you may hear the sound of great preparations." —Seneca, 1st century CE "Who can sing of the spectacle, the unrestrained mirth, the banqueting, the unbought feast... For how many years shall this festival abide? Never shall age destroy so holy a day!... While Rome stands, it shall continue." —Statius, 1st century CE (A vegetarian Roman banquet? What's up with that?) "I have only one thing to say: how cheap, delicious and healthy vegetables are for everyone... I find the authorities on the subject consider that the eating of lentils promotes an even temper." —Pliny, 1st century CE (And would you like some hints on Roman table manners?) "I don't consider it a good start to a pleasant evening if there is mistrust, squabbling, pilfering and elbowing among the guests." —Plutarch, 1st century CE "Laws" for Saturnalia "All business is forbidden during the feast days All men shall be equal, slave and free, rich and poor Anger, resentment, threats, are contrary to law No discourse shall be either composed or delivered, except it be conducive to mirth and jollity." —Lucian ofSamosata, 2nd century CE "The impulse to spend seizes everyone... People are not only generous towards themselves, but also towards their fellow-men. A stream of presents pours itself out on all sides... The festival banishes all that is connected with toil... From the minds of young people it removes the dread of the schoolmaster... Another great quality of the festival is that it teaches men not to hold too fast to their money." —Libanius, 4th century CE Dean Shomshak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShomshak Posted December 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 ILLUD LATINE DICI POTEST (You can say it in Latin!) QUID FIT? What's happening? BALAENAE NOBIS CONSERVANDAE SUNT Save the whales TIBI GRATIAS AGIMUS QUOD NIHIL FUMAS Thank you for not smoking FAC UT GAUDEAM Make my day VENITE AC CAPITE Come and get it! PROPINO TIBI SALUTEM Cheers! GAUDEO TE ILLUD DE ME ROGAVISSE I'm glad you asked me that ITA ERAT QUANDO HIC ADVENI It was that way when I got here EAMOS O HALIAETUS Go Seahawks! (What can I say, we live in Western Washington.) INTERDUM FEROR CUPIDINE GALLAE VINCENDERUM Sometimes I get this urge to conquer Gaul NONNE DULCE EST COLLEGIAM TOTAM EN UNUM LOCUM COGERE ? Isn't it great to get everyone together? SATURNALIBUS, OPTIMO DIERUM Saturnalia, the best of days! —Catullus, 1st century BCE Dean Shomshak -- but the credit goes all to my sister! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Quanti canicula ille im fenestre, don'tcheknow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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