Io Saturnalia everyone!

With all the talk going on these days about how the real spiritual basis for Christmas is somehow under threat from secularism and political correctness, I think it's time to remind a few folks of some history. See, 2000 years ago, the Roman world had this little festival that took place at the end of each year, celebrating the winter solstice, the end of one year and the birth of the new one, and the god Saturn. Basically, it was about a two week piss up. People loved it. It was the best two weeks of the year. Everyone got time off from work and school, exchanged presents, set up and decorated evergreen trees, and basically had a huge time. When the emperor Constantine had his vision at the bridge in the early fourth century and Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the new church authorities tried to wean the common folks away from all of these "pagan" traditions. They couldn't get people to give up the statues and alters they'd set up everywhere to make offerings to the gods (who, after all, had ordered their world very nicely for thousands of years), so the church started allowing statues to be set up to all the figures of the Bible. Over time, people shifted to the new "gods" and new traditions began to replace the old ones. Offerings and prayers to the old gods evolved into offerings and prayers to the new ones, seeking some form of intercession with the big guy.

They tried to get people to stop celebrating the two week end of year festival, viewing it as a horrible pagan travesty, but they couldn't do it. The people loved it too much. So, in the spirit of compromise (which we know the Catholic church has always been really good at), they simply cooped it. The "pagan" holiday went from being a festival to celebrate the god Saturn and the birth of the new year, to being a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ. The exchanging of presents began in Roman times, but Santa and the association of the evergreen holiday tree with Christmas were supposedly German innovations. All these pagan remnants hung on because people loved them and wouldn't let them go. When the Madison avenue folks got hold of it all in the 20th century we all began to be trained like Pavlov's dogs to go out each year and put ourselves into debt to line our roofs and yards with more and more lights and lay out more presents under the tree than last year. I don't want to be a bummer, but I'd be amazed if the number of people in America who really see Christmas as basically a vacation when they're gonna have fun and get cool presents didn't outnumber the folks who focus only on the religious meaning of it all.

I'm not totally closed off to the religious meaning of it. I was raised to believe in it all. Back when I taught classes on Navy ships I had a chance to do a little traveling. I've been to Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and I've seen the rock where Jesus was supposedly crucified, and his tomb. I went to what they claim is the Garden of Gethsemane, which is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I've trudged up the mountain in the Sinai where Moses supposedly got the ten commandments, and I've seen what they claim was once the burning bush. I grew up taking all the religious stories for granted, accepting it all without much thought, but you know, at some point you grow up and start asking questions. I love all the Bible epics from the 50s and 60s that get drug out for the season. Movies like The Robe, Quo Vadis, Ben Hur, etc. all captured my imagination as a kid and helped me develop my love of history. I jokingly tell people that my knowledge of the Bible is so limited, if the story didn't appear at some point in a movie starring Victor Mature, chances are I don't know about it.

I'm not really that uninformed, but like most people today, I pass quickly by most of the supposed religious basis for the holiday and go directly to the family gatherings, the awesome food and the spiked eggnog. It's all about family and fun with me, and time off from the drudgery of work, and memories of the past years when, as a kid, I reveled in piles of cool presents under the tree and snowy vacations away from school. Imagine the irony of that. I used to hate school and now I'm a teacher. Bizarre. For many people I think "the reason for the season" is a Christmas bonus in their check, good food and drink with friends, reconnecting with family, celebrating another year in the bag, and having a week or so off from work. Lets be real. Our end of year festival is still a huge pissup... A materialistic orgy that goes on every year, framed by Christmas and New Years, culminating in the New Years celebrations that easily mirror the two week Roman festival from 2000 years ago. Is it about God? What really is the "reason for the season" for you? If they took away the time off, the parties, the booze and the presents, would very many people show up?

These guys probably wouldn't.



But then we probably shouldn't use them as a barometer, should we? Anyway, I hope everyone has a great time. To each their own. I'll be heading over to the folks with a trunk full of stuff, eating great food and celebrating one more holiday with the whole family still in tact. No tellin' how many more of those there'll be. So, Merry Christmas (or X-Mas) and/or Happy Holidays to everyone. Cheers. By the way, "Io Saturnalia" is Latin for "Ho, Praise to Saturn". Ya gotta love Wikipedia. And by the way, dig this...




Click on it to see the larger image. Love that Hubble. Looks like the cover of a Yes album from the 70s, or maybe an old Star Wars poster. Later.