Roman Saturnalia

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Roman winter festival celebrating the harvest god, Saturn, laid the foundations for many of our Christmas traditions today- feasting, gift-giving and revelry. During Saturnalia, Emperors held elaborate games at the Colosseum while others gave gag gifts. Meanwhile, in the home, the societal hierarchy was flipped - slaves were served by their masters at the dinner table and out in the streets it was a carnival of music, dancing and debauchery.

Dan is joined by Dr Frances Macintosh, The English Heritage Collections Curator for Hadrian's Wall in the North East and she takes Dan through a typical Saturnalia.

This is episode 1 in our 'Origins of Christmas' series. Every Wednesday in December, Dan explores the history behind our Christmas traditions—from extravagant Tudor feasts and carolling to midwinter Solstice celebrations, the bawdy entertainment of the Georgians, and the family-focused customs of the Victorians.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann and edited by Max Carrey and Dougal Patmore.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Dan Snow, and if you would like Dan Snow's History Hit ad-free, get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit.
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0:19.4	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com slash subscribe.
0:26.7	No home, no address, no address, no bank account, no bank account, no job, no job, no home, no home, no address, no address, no bank account, no
0:43.2	bank account, no job, no home.
0:46.2	It's time to break the vicious circle.
0:48.8	We're working with charities like shelter to provide a bank account for people who are homeless.
0:53.9	Search HSBCUK, no fixed address.
0:56.7	A national book token gives a world of discovery, where imaginations run wild with endless
1:02.9	possibility.
1:04.1	They might choose a voyage to stars and black holes, or to relive their team's most legendary
1:09.7	goals, to learn how to draw, to grow, to bake,
1:13.2	or scare themselves silly and stay wide awake.
1:16.7	From the depths of love to the depths of the ocean, give a gift beyond words, give a national
1:22.0	book token.
1:23.0	Buy now for Christmas in bookshops everywhere and online.
1:29.3	December has arrived.
1:32.3	There are lights in people's windows.
1:34.8	There are trees in front rooms.
1:37.1	Shops, stores have had festive decorations up since, well, probably before Halloween.
1:43.7	There's definitely a sense of excitement in the
1:46.0	air. That history hit? We're looking forward, in my case, with some nerves, to our Christmas
	...

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