Bona Saturnalia! and other Holiday Musings
Well, blogging has gone right down the holiday shitter, now hasn't it? I heart me some Christmas, I do. I loaded my 16ish hour holiday playlist into my iPod 12/1/06, and our OysterFestivus was a smash, but people, I am pooped.
And I'm seriously considering making two wee buches de noel for various family holiday visits. That idea might have to go down the holiday shitter, too.
Shopping's almost done, though... Just a few more little things.
Anyway, since I last wrote, almost nothing has happened.
I spent the day cooking - I know, you're shocked... but I also trimmed the tree(still have one more box of ornaments. eeek!) and ran a few elfy errands. Oh, and laundry, since I was too busy making merry last weekend to get any done.
Now, I'm no Christian, so the Christmas I celebrate is very secular in terms of creating light in the dark and cold of the year, and celebrating family, community, etc... I've been reading about the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which, incidentally is tonight, and I'm into it. Family feasting, pranks, drinking, merry-making... sounds familiar? Perhaps because it is the Roman festival from which the early Roman Christian leaders pilfered in order to attract converts from the Roman people, much the way some winter solstice practices were adopted from the celts and anglo-saxon types in Western Europe.. crafty... Perhaps OysterFestivus is our Saturnalia?
Rituals include images of Saturn (a jovial, but dignified old man, often seen with animals, and symbols of plenty such as oil jugs, a cornucopia, or a bag of gifts... hmmmm...), red, peaked caps (the mark of freed slaves, which was a role-play in households with slaves in ancient Rome), and a week's worth of feasting and all that jazz, which comes at the time of the solstice, and/or the lunar month of capricorn...
Emma and I were having a chat about how many cultures have holidays near this time of year which emphasize light in the darkness, feasting, and celebrating family and community, and I guess this is just one more.
Pass the twinkle lights, please.
And I'm seriously considering making two wee buches de noel for various family holiday visits. That idea might have to go down the holiday shitter, too.
Shopping's almost done, though... Just a few more little things.
Anyway, since I last wrote, almost nothing has happened.
 |
| From Brasserie MoMP |
I spent the day cooking - I know, you're shocked... but I also trimmed the tree(still have one more box of ornaments. eeek!) and ran a few elfy errands. Oh, and laundry, since I was too busy making merry last weekend to get any done.
Now, I'm no Christian, so the Christmas I celebrate is very secular in terms of creating light in the dark and cold of the year, and celebrating family, community, etc... I've been reading about the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which, incidentally is tonight, and I'm into it. Family feasting, pranks, drinking, merry-making... sounds familiar? Perhaps because it is the Roman festival from which the early Roman Christian leaders pilfered in order to attract converts from the Roman people, much the way some winter solstice practices were adopted from the celts and anglo-saxon types in Western Europe.. crafty... Perhaps OysterFestivus is our Saturnalia?
 |
| From Miscellany |
Rituals include images of Saturn (a jovial, but dignified old man, often seen with animals, and symbols of plenty such as oil jugs, a cornucopia, or a bag of gifts... hmmmm...), red, peaked caps (the mark of freed slaves, which was a role-play in households with slaves in ancient Rome), and a week's worth of feasting and all that jazz, which comes at the time of the solstice, and/or the lunar month of capricorn...
Emma and I were having a chat about how many cultures have holidays near this time of year which emphasize light in the darkness, feasting, and celebrating family and community, and I guess this is just one more.
 |
| From Miscellany |
Pass the twinkle lights, please.
Labels: Culinaria, OysterFest, Ramblings
posted by Cameron | 1:59 PM
1 Comments:
I didn't know about the history of Festivius (though I'm sure that the Burger, as an avid Seinfeld fan, did) but this Globe article helped to enlighten me and seemed on point in response to MOMP's Saturnalia post.
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