Among other things, the Roman Empire bequeathed to the western world the principles of the legal system practiced in dozens of countries, the roots of languages such as Spanish, French or Italian and even the logic with which the fire departments operating in cities operate.
But perhaps there is one element of this heritage that is not so well known: the Christmas celebration.
At one of Christianity’s most important festivals, now marked by tree lights, Santa Clauses, nativity scenes and family reunions, it’s difficult to find any trace of Roman culture.
- What “Christmas” was like before Jesus was born
- The history and curiosities of Christmas, from the gospels and pagan traditions to Santa Claus
Mainly because for more than five centuries the Roman Empire was a people who believed in multiple deities.
But what is the connection between Christmas as we know it and ancient Rome?
The answer to this question concerns one Roman festival in particular: the Saturnalia, the rite used to welcome winter in the Roman Empire.
“The choice of December 25 as Jesus’ birth date has nothing to do with the Bible; rather, it was a very conscious and explicit choice to use the winter solstice to symbolize Christ’s role as the light of the world.”, Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of Church History at the University of Oxford, UK, told BBC News Mundo, the BBC’s Spanishlanguage news service.
“The festive and riotous customs of Saturnalia at the same time of year naturally migrated into Christian practice as Christianity rose to prominence in Roman society in the fourth century. The new beliefs would be better accepted if they didn’t mix with old nonChristian customs,” he added.
But when did this encounter between Roman rites and Christian celebrations take place and how has it come down to our day?
2 of 3 During Saturnalia there was a sort of role reversal: men dressed as women and men dressed as slaves — Photo: Getty Images (via BBC)
There was a sort of role reversal during Saturnalia: men dressed as women and men dressed as slaves — Photo: Getty Images (via BBC)
Saturnalia was a festival held by the ancient Romans to celebrate what they called the “rebirth” of the year to mark the winter solstice in the Julian calendar (predominant in the Roman Empire and Europe for centuries), which is interestingly was celebrated on December 25th.
However, the feast began eight days earlier, on December 17, when the norms that normally governed society were reversed: men as women and lords as servants.
But then the similarities to today’s Christmas began: Houses were decorated with leaves, candles were lit and… gifts were exchanged.
“Hold in honor of the god Saturn (hence the name), this celebration has always been characterized by the relaxation of social order and the atmosphere of carnival,” says historian Marguerite Johnson of the University of Newcastle in Australia in an interview with BBC News World.
Johnson emphasizes that the celebration of Saturn at the onset of winter had a meaning: Saturn was the chief deity of the Romans.
“He was the god of weather, agriculture and the supernatural. As the days grew shorter and the earth somehow symbolically died, the god of weather and food must be happy,” explains Johnson.
And as part of this tradition of pleasing the deity and other people, gifts were introduced.
3 out of 3 historians place the birth of Jesus in the months of March and April — Photo: Getty Images (via BBC)
Historians place Jesus’ birth in March and April Photo: Getty Images (via BBC)
“As part of the celebrations, the Romans exchanged gifts: candles, woolen slippers, hats and even socks. And they did this between families while the slaves were enjoying their free time.”
But the historian recalls that in addition to the feast of Saturnalia, the Romans had another important festival: the “Birth of the Unconquered or Unconquered Sun” (Natalis Solis Invicti), celebrated every December 25, according to various documents dating back to the Roman times .
“The fourthcentury almanac, the Phillocalus calendar, mentions a celebration of the Invictus on December 25, which is probably a reference to the ‘unconquered sun,'” says Johnson.
“And in this document it is mentioned for the first time that December 25 is the birth of Jesus,” adds the historian.
The truth is that by the end of Roman times, Christmas was already part of the Roman calendar.
According to historians, it was a gradual process dealing with a hybridization or merging of traditions.
By the middle of the first century, Christians had arrived in Rome and were beginning to shape the society of the empire.
“As Christianity became more established in the Roman world and the ancient polytheistic religion fell behind, Christians adapted and appropriated these established rites,” Johnson notes.
“It is very plausible that they chose this festival because of its relationship to being born again, but this time to the born again of Christ, who was also charged with the mission to redeem them and bring them to eternal life,” he adds.
Everything was written down in the 4th century: between 320 and 353, Pope Julius I set Christmas as December 25, perhaps as a strategy to convert the Romans.
In 449, Pope Leo 1 established the date for the celebration of Jesus’ birth as one of the major festivals of the Catholic Church, and finally, in 529, Emperor Justinian declared it an official holiday of the empire.
So people began to assume that Jesus was born in December. However, the Italian historian Polidoro Virgilio noted the similarities between various pagan rites and the celebration of Christmas in the 15th century.
“Polidoro Virgilio pointed out the connection between the predominantly English tradition ‘The Lord of Misrule’, which took place on Christmas Day, and the corresponding custom, which took place during the Saturnalia. Both involved lords and servants or slaves swapping roles for a day,” observes Johnson.
Since then, the exact date of Jesus’ birth has been sought, which some historians place at midMarch or early April.
But the influence is so strong that on December 25th we continue to celebrate with gifts, parties and family gatherings.
This text was originally published in December 2021 and has been republished after being updated.