Roman Festivals – From Saturnalia to “Christmas Spirit”

Historical studies on Roman festivals like Saturnalia and Sol Invictus show how winter feasts of drinking, gift-giving, and sun worship later blended with “Christian” celebrations. Laying these timelines side by side makes it hard to pretend December 25 was simply a neutral date.

For those done with fairy tales and ready to see how Rome repackaged its own parties.