 Ayo Saturnalia, also pronounced Yo Saturnalia. Instead of Merry Christmas, if you were at a Winter Festival in Ancient Rome, you would hear people, drunk people I should add, shouting Ayo Saturnalia. Saturnalia was the pagan Roman Winter Festival held in mid-December in honour of Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture and time. Now Saturnalia was the most popular holiday on the Ancient Roman calendar and it derived from older farming related rituals and the winter solstice, especially the practice of offering gifts or sacrifices to the gods during the winter sowing season. People would bring in holly and berries to honour Saturn. It was no quiet religious holiday however, it was a roundy affair. Schools, businesses and courts were all closed and normal social patterns were suspended for the festival. People would decorate their homes with wreaths and other greenery and colourful clothes were worn, ditching the traditional togas that were much more conservative and people would wear really bright colours such as red, gold and purple. Even people that were enslaved were free to enjoy the day. They often sat at the head of the table with their masters serving them. The normal social norms of Roman society was flipped on its head during Saturnalia. Adults would serve children and slaves were free to gamble. The second century AD poet Lucian of Samosata wrote in his poem, Saturnalia. During my week the serious is barred, no business allowed, drinking and being drunk, noise in games of dice, a pointing of kings and feasting of slaves, singing naked, clapping, such are the functions over which I preside. Saturnalia was originally celebrated for only one day on December 17th but the Romans were having so much fun it became a whole week of celebration. The Roman poet Catalyst famously described it as the best of times. Not everyone in Rome was a fan of the celebrations however. The Roman author Pliny for instance reportedly built a soundproof room to keep out the noisy celebrations so he could engage in his work, going to quite the lengths. Whereas Seneca reportedly quipped that the mob lost control in pleasantries at Saturnalia. Saturnalia was the Roman equivalent to the earlier Greek holiday of Cronia and many Saturnalia traditions were incorporated into the Christian holiday of Christmas. Merry Christmas or should I say I'll Saturnalia. To find out how the ancient Celts celebrated the winter solstice, please click here. Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time.