| From: Karen Mercedes To: VOCALIST <vocalist> Subject: Re: X in Christmas? Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>
On Mon, 27 Dec 1999, Casey Lance wrote:
> December 25th was the feast of Saturnallia (sp?) . When the romans > converted to christianity, rather than give up one of their beloved feasts, > they celebrate the birth of Christ on their pagan holiday. > Also, Easter is named after a norse god >
Actually, Saturnalia was originally a one-day holiday celebrated on the 14th day before the kalends of January - which would make it December 17th. However, due to its popularity, by the end of the Republican era in Rome, it had been extended to a seven-day holiday, which put its ending on December 24th, i.e., what we consider Christmas Eve today. Saturnalia began as a winter solstice ritual, and included the delightful practise of the masters acting as servants to the slaves at a big feast - a tradition that was carried over in various ways into different countries' Christmas celebrations.
Karen Mercedes
===== There is delight in singing, tho' none hear Beside the singer. - Walter Savage Landor ----- http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
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