Feasting during the Saturnalia

Les Saturnales ou l'Hiver (1783) by Antoine-François Callet.

The ancient Roman author Suetonius tells us that in AD 69, the Emperor Vitellius organised a feast to celebrate his ascendancy to the imperial throne. This feast consisted of 2,000 fish, 7,000 game birds and an assortment of pike livers, pheasant brains, flamingo tongues and lampreys. This was not a normal amount of food for Romans, even for the emperors who are known for their excess, but it tells us about the nature of feasting for the Romans: it was an important part of life and was central to any celebration.

This may not seem too distant an idea for us – Christmas is fast approaching and is a time when we typically relax and eat. This was the case for the ancients also, even predating Christmas. A well-known Roman festival is the Saturnalia which occurred between 17th-23rd December. This festival has often been linked with the celebration of Christmas, mainly because of the timings of the events, but also because of the fact that it signalled a time when strict Roman social customs could be relaxed a little.

The Romans had no concept of a weekend and ordinary Romans got time off only during the religious and civic festivals. The Saturnalia was one festival among many, but it was also unique in the fact that on this one day a slave could become a master. On this one day social roles were reversed so that slaves feasted and were sometimes served by their masters. Whether this was a sincere gesture or a cruel joke is subject to debate, but the point to note is the significance of this festival for everyone involved.

The Saturnalia was a festival where food was of central importance (alongside the celebration of the god Saturn of course). Romans would often eat sweet treats such as figs, dates and pears as well as drinking lots of wine. The idea of the Saturnalia was to give thanks to Saturn for ensuring the years harvest was fruitful. Therefore, without the divine favour of Saturn, Rome would starve. Feasting on the Saturnalia was a reflection of the year’s abundance rather than just a celebration of the year’s end.

During Christmas feasting is a way for us to bring family and friends together, and for Christians it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. So, what is the link (other than feasting) between the Saturnalia and Christmas? You may recall that the Roman festival took place between 17th-23rd December, close to the 25th when modern Christmas is celebrated in the UK. After the Roman Empire converted to Christianity in the late 4th century AD the festivities of the Saturnalia became combined with the festivities of Christmas. Feasting took on a new role in Christmas, it was no longer to honour the god Saturn but to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Yet, one thing that did not change was the centrality of food.

Whilst we may not want to feast on the same level as Vitellius, Christmas has a long feasting tradition stretching back to the time of the Romans. The Romans recognised that December was an important time of year when the harvest had finished and new beginnings could be had. However, before the god Janus ushered in the new year, the Romans paid homage to Saturn by feasting and celebrating life.

Written by Archie Duke, MA student at the University of Exeter.