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That's patreon.com slash ghost town pod. A most dangerous feast. I'm Jason Horton. I'm Rebecca Leeb.

And this is Ghost Town. If you're listening to this episode when it comes out on Wednesday,

December 31st, 2025, you're also likely preparing for the new year, happening, of course,

at midnight tonight. Maybe you're going to a party

or heading out of town or downtown. Maybe you're just trying to stay awake on your couch. No judgment.

Whatever you're doing, however benign or debauchous, I promise you, it pales in comparison to how

the Romans partied back in the 900s.

The Roman poet catalysts described our episode's topic today, a wild, week-long New Year's

phenomena as, quote, the best of times. But don't take his word for it. Today on Ghost Town,

we're discussing the most popular, most sinful, most drunken, most anarchist,

and perhaps even the deadliest holiday on the ancient Roman calendar, Saturnalia.

Saturnalia is named after the Roman god Saturn, an agricultural deity who's said to have reigned over humanity in the

Golden Age. What is the Golden Age, you might ask? Great question. The Golden Age as a concept

is very broadly or can be compared to for my research, as similar to the Judeo-Christian Eden,

where humans were peaceful, celebratory, and enjoyed

the spontaneous bounty of the earth in a pure, loving state of innocence. Nice, right? Well,

after the Golden Age, as Roman legend goes, things began to decline through four other, quote-unquote,

ages. Degrading humanity through sin,

pains, and evils, the ages are characterized by materials lessening in value, but an increase in

...