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

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 19, 2023Humpback whales in Maui, Hawaii
Jun 7, 2020A hermitage with a view
Aug 1, 2019Hawaii Volcanoes National Park turns 103
Nov 7, 2024Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves, Great Bear Rainforest, Canada
Sep 13, 2023Hemakuta Hill, Hampi, India
Jan 19, 2018Old Town in Prague, Czech Republic
Feb 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Aug 15, 2025Spotted eagle rays in the Galápagos Islands
Feb 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California
Oct 23, 2022Mute swan
Aug 6, 2020Space-age style by the sea
May 7, 2019Spring comes to Glacier National Park
May 26, 2021Behold the blood moon
Jan 9, 2024Balloon Ascension Day
Sep 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
Nov 18, 2022Keyholes to the kingdom
May 26, 2024Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington
Feb 2, 2018Alpine marmots at Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
Dec 29, 2024Borobudur Temple, Java, Indonesia
May 19, 2020Loud waters
Mar 7, 2018Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
Apr 18, 2023International Day for Monuments and Sites
Feb 24, 2018A red fox on the Swiss side of the Jura Mountain range
Jul 29, 2021Hiding in plain sight
May 15, 2019Basking in the glow
Feb 22, 2024Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
Apr 13, 2021Ruins of a royal temple
Nov 24, 2022Happy Thanksgiving!
Oct 16, 2022Prince Christian Sound in southern Greenland
Mar 3, 2024World Wildlife Day