When in Rome...celebrate Saturnalia Dec 17, 2019

When in Rome...celebrate Saturnalia

We"re looking at the Temple of Saturn, one of the oldest structures of the Forum in Rome. It was here that ancient Romans began their celebrations of Saturnalia, which started on December 17. Both the temple and the festival are dedicated to the agricultural god Saturn, whose reign was associated with a golden age of prosperity and peace. Saturnalia festivities kicked off with a sacrifice at the temple, followed by a public banquet and a week of general merrymaking. Activities included gambling, eating, drinking, and playing music. Businesses and schools closed, and even slaves were free from work and allowed to participate in the festivities. Many Saturnalia customs evolved into Christmas traditions, such as gift giving, decorating homes with wreaths, and drinking spiced wine.

© Joe Daniel Price/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dec 17, 2018We have liftoff!
Dec 17, 2020Pining for spring
Dec 17, 2021Bournemouth beach huts
Dec 17, 2022Mountain goats at Glacier National Park in Montana
Dec 17, 2023Bohemian waxwings in Canada
Dec 17, 2024Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway
Dec 17, 2025Eurasian red squirrel in Northumberland, England

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 7, 2026National Lighthouse Day
Sep 2, 2018Row, row, row your gondola
Nov 15, 2019Mesmerizing murmuration
Oct 3, 2019Love on ice
Aug 4, 2020Into the woods
Apr 2, 2018Seven Magic Mountains art installation, Jean Dry Lake, Nevada
Mar 12, 2022The Girl Scouts celebrate 110 years
Oct 7, 2024Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany
Nov 5, 2022Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland
Jun 10, 2019Ponta da Piedade rock formations in Portugal
Jan 30, 2022Halo around the sun
Oct 31, 2024Happy Halloween!
Feb 13, 2021Four little birds sitting in a tree…
Jan 14, 2022Road to Sa Calobra, Majorca, Spain
Sep 8, 2021Enter the magical world of Livraria Lello
Aug 2, 2023Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
May 30, 2018‘The memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever’
Jul 19, 2024A young jaguar on a riverbank, Pantanal, Brazil
Feb 16, 2024Great Backyard Bird Count
Jan 14, 2021Summer huts in winter
Jun 2, 2023Gemsbok in Namibian sand dunes
Apr 30, 2026Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands
Jan 26, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
Aug 5, 2023Atlantic puffin, Iceland
Jul 1, 2025Happy Canada Day!
Jun 5, 2022World Environment Day
Jul 17, 2025Lavender fields in Plateau de Valensole, France
Jun 6, 2019Engineering an artificial harbor in Normandy
Oct 16, 2024National Fossil Day
Nov 4, 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England