Io Saturnalia! Ancient Rome’s Winter Holiday

During the dark winter months, ancient Romans turned to Saturn, the god of farming and the harvest. He was celebrated in a days-long festival called Saturnalia, originally taking place on December 17 but eventually extended to December 23. This public holiday brought a carnival-like atmosphere and included animal sacrifices and feasting, as many Roman holidays did.

What did pagans do during Saturnalia?

Societal rules were set aside for Saturnalia, so the usual strict social boundaries were ignored. This extended to slaves and their masters: it was common for these roles to be reversed during the festival. Some households would elect a “King of Saturnalia” or a Lord of Misrule, who had permission to cause mischief and chaos during the festival.  Activities such as gambling and drinking in excess were prominent during Saturnalia, as they were normally discouraged in Roman society. 

Romans typically adorned their homes with evergreen foliage and wore their finest clothing during the celebrations. Of course, it couldn’t be a holiday without a proper feast for the whole community. Lavish banquets were organized by prominent leaders, and townspeople all chipped in and brought their finest food and wine. 

Offerings and prayers would be given to Saturn, showing thanks for a good harvest and ensuring a successful farming season in the next year. At the Temple of Saturn, priests would ritualistically unbind the feet of the god's statue, symbolizing Saturn’s joining the celebrations.

What are the traditional gifts of Saturnalia?

Another prominent activity during Saturnalia included gift-giving. Close friends and family members would exchange small, low-cost gifts as a sign of affection. These gifts were usually handmade by the giver during the festival. Some common gifts to give during Saturnalia were silver, preserved fruits, and small clay or wooden figures known as sigilla. 

Candles were the most common gift to give during Saturnalia. They were lit during the festival much like advent candles are used today. Typically the last day of Saturnalia, called the Sigillaria, was dedicated to gift-giving and opening presents.

Is Saturnalia still celebrated today?

Do lavish feasting, evergreen decorations, and gift-giving all sound familiar? That is because, when Catholicism took over the Roman Empire, parts of the Saturnalia celebration were pieced together to make the modern Christmas holiday. Although Christmas has largely taken over our winter holiday season, there are a number of modern pagans that include Saturnalia in their practice. 

You can easily follow suit and work elements of the Saturnalia festival into your own practice, especially if you already work with Saturn or Saturnian energy. A good first step would be to make offerings to Saturn or Kronos, his Greek counterpart. Great offerings would be red wine, meat, dark fruits, or incense. You can even mimic the ritual of unbinding Saturn’s feet with a bit of cloth and a statue to represent the god. Candles are an important part of Saturnalia because they represent the promise of the return of the light in the dark of winter. You can dress a candle with oils and herbs as part of your worship. 

Most importantly, indulge in old-fashioned hedonism this season: wear your finest clothes, play your favorite music, and feast to your heart's content—embracing the true spirit of Saturnalia. Any supplies you wish to gather for your rituals can be found online or in our brick-and-mortar store. Io Saturnalia!

Ancient Pagan Winter Nights: Honoring Ancestors & Spirits

Winter Nights is a period of holy observation for Heathens and Norse Pagans, it marks the beginning of the Winter season. Also called Vetrnaetr and Winterfylleth, this festival blends feasting, rituals, and offerings to ensure protection and prosperity throughout the harsh winter months ahead.

The Historical Traditions and Rituals of Winter Nights

The medieval, Icelandic historian, Snorri Sturlusson, includes the celebration of Winter Nights as one of the three major Pre-Christian holidays in Northern Europe. There are many different records for when Winter Nights begins: some say it starts on the first or second full moon after the Autumn Equinox, some say it takes place in mid-to-late October depending on the year, and others say it starts with the first winter frost. We know that Winter Nights was traditionally observed over some time, from 3 days to a month.

 

As is typical for many pagan festivals, a feast was given as part of the celebration and included a series of sacrifices as part of the holy rituals. The items sacrificed to deities would typically be the blood of whatever animal was slaughtered for feasting. Two sacrificial rituals are mentioned consistently in historical texts: Álfablót and Dísablót. Álfablót was an offering to the spirits of the land and community, while Dísablót was an offering made to the family’s spirits. Both were private events closed to non-family members. The participants thanked deities and local spirits for a fruitful harvest, and they also connected with the spirits of ancestors at this time.

How Winter Nights Links with Modern Paganism

You may find similarities between Winter Nights and the Celtic holiday Samhain: the two share themes surrounding the start of winter, the final harvest, and the memory of loved ones who have passed. This time of year in the Northern Hemisphere inspires us to consider these topics as the daylight dwindles and the barren winter approaches. Winter Nights offers those interested in Norse paganism or Heathenry a chance to explore winter celebrations with roots in those cultures. Although there are few historical records detailing how pagans observed Winter Nights, we know there was a toast to honor deities, a sacrifice made to family and communal spirits, and a feast.

 

You can follow in the footsteps of many Scandinavian pagans and observe Winter Nights in the modern day using this blueprint. Hold a feast with your closest friends and family, and remember your loved ones beyond the veil: friends, family, and familiars alike. Share stories of them to celebrate their life and memory, light a candle next to their photo, and leave them a food offering during your observances. Your “blood sacrifice” to the gods and spirits can be a cup of red wine, or a morsel of meat from your feast. Deities associated with Winter Nights include Odin, who commissioned the holiday, and Freyr, the god of the harvest. You can take the opportunity to bring any deity into your Winter Nights observances: clear a space for them on your altar and make an offering to them.

 

However you choose to incorporate Winter Nights into your practice, our pagan supply store is here to support you on your journey. You can find oils, candles, herbs, and other ritual tools in our online store or at our Asheville shop, and our knowledgeable and skilled staff will guide you in the right direction.

Samhain, the third and final harvest, is one of the major festivals of the Wheel of the Year. For many Pagans it is the most important festival. The harvest is complete, it is the end of the cycle of birth and growth, the point of death. Traditionally the veils between the worlds are at their thinnest and it is the time to honor and offer hospitality to our ancestors.


Colors of the Season
Traditional colors of the season are black for death and endings, orange for fire and the bounty of the final harvest, and purple for insight and inspiration.
Plants of the Season
Pumpkins, Gourds, Apples, Nuts, Berries, Mugwort, Rosemary, Marigolds, Chrysanthemums.


Symbols
A cauldron, photos of deceased relatives and loved ones honor the passage to the Summerland and the Ancestors, the besom broom, black candles.
Additional suggestions for celebrating.
Take a walk in a natural area near your home. Observe the colors, aromas, sounds, and other sensations of the season. Gather some natural objects and add them to your altar.
Samhain is a fire festival. If possible, have bonfire outdoors or light a fire in your fireplace or even a small cauldron. Write down a habit that you wish to end and cast it into the flames seeing it being released.
Use Tarot, Runes, Scrying, or some other form of divination to seek guidance for the coming years.
Have a craft day. Gather leaves and make leaf prints, carve a pumpkin or a turnip, bake a sweet treat.
Tap into the Halloween interpretation and pile up on the couch with a bag of candy and your favorite horror movie.
Find a way to celebrate that brings you happiness.


Suggested Ritual
Start by creating the altar. While setting up your altar anoint the items and yourself with the Samhain oil. Think about those departed by death from your life, (family, friends, pets) as you place photographs of them on your altar. Offer them your hospitality and welcome their presence into your home.
For those who have lost loved ones in the past year, Samhain rituals can be an assistance in the grieving process and an opportunity to spiritually commune with your loved ones.
Blessed Samhain

What is Samhain? Unearth the Ancient Fire Festival

Following the Autumn Equinox, the ancient pagan world celebrated many holidays, and the next in our series is Samhain, one of the Celtic fire festivals. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the transition to the barren winter. Celebrated on and around November 1st, it is the traditional Celtic New Year. Although it is often associated with the modern Halloween, its roots are in ancient Celtic beliefs surrounding death, the supernatural, and the cycles of nature.

Origins of Samhain

Samhain is one of four Celtic fire festivals, and shares many of the same significations and traditions as Imbolc, Beltaine, and Lughnasadh. Some sources say that Samhain was the only mandatory fire festival for all townspeople. The ancient Celts used this festival to petition for protection over their harvest and livestock, which would have been put away for winter storage by Samhain. 

A large bonfire would be lit at night to drive away evil spirits. At the end of the festival, everyone would light a torch with the Samhain fire and re-light their hearths with it, taking home the protective powers of the bonfire. The Celts believed at Samhain, the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds thinned, and communication between the two became easier and more tangible. As a result, they would wear disguises or costumes to avert evil or avoid the unwanted attention of spirits and ghosts, as otherworldly beings were known to kidnap humans from the physical world. Candles would be placed inside carved squash, pumpkins, and turnips to confuse and drive away evil spirits, which is where the Jack-O-Lantern gets its origins. 

Feasting was also an important part of Samhain celebrations. The community would come together and share in the final harvest. A seat at the head of the table would be left empty for the ancestors of those at the feast. They would be served food and wine, and the dinner was had in total silence. After the fest, the ancestor’s food would be taken out and left in the woods. This is known as a “dumb supper” and is one of the Samhain traditions that has lasted through the centuries.

Samhain and Modern Paganism

Samhain is still celebrated today by pagans of all different practices. Wiccans adopted Samhain into their wheel of the year, and it is generally considered important to many pagan practices for its connection to the changing of seasons as well as the heightened communication with the spirit world. Many Celtic nations still hold a festival for Samhain, especially in Scotland and Ireland, and each has its regional traditions. In all of them, Samhain is known famously as the Witch’s Sabbat: this is a night when witches come together to cast their spells, and they can be seen flying through the night on broomsticks, ravens, and black cats. 

As with all the fire festivals, fire has remained a central theme for modern Samhain rituals. It is used to cleanse and protect homes and people. You can incorporate fire into your practice by lighting a hearth fire, using a candle, or using a corresponding crystal, like Carnelian or Red Jasper if a fire is not possible. Many modern pagans use this time to connect with the dead while the veil is thin. You can create a space for your ancestors at your altar, or call them into any spellwork done on this day. Additionally, divination powers are amplified during Samhain, making predictions more accurate. Matrimonial divination was a popular practice at these festivals, and apples and hazelnuts were used to predict couplings for the next year. 

Whatever your Samhain celebrations look like, you can find all the supplies you need in our supply shop. If you need a place to start, look into one of our Samhain Sabbat boxes, which supply you with seasonal tea, incense, candles, and more tools for you to plan your rituals. You can shop online, or visit our brick-and-mortar store in Asheville, and our experienced staff will help guide you on your journey. 

Celebrated on or about the Autumn Equinox, September 22nd, Mabon is a time of balance of the light and dark, and turning to the dark. Many pagans see Mabon, the second harvest celebration (after the first harvest Lammas), and the Fall Equinox as a time to express gratitude and honor a moment of balance.

Colors of the Season

Traditional colors of the season are gold, orange, red, bronze, and rust. The colors of changing leaves and harvested fruits.

Plants of the Season

Grapes, rose hips, elderberries, blackberries, hawthorn berries, leaves, pinecones, corn, pomegranate, squash, root vegetables, rosemary, sage, mugwort, and yarrow, sunflowers, thistles, marigolds.

The apple is the symbol of the second harvest, representing life, immortality, healing, renewal, and wholeness. It is associated with beauty, long life, and restored youth. Cut an apple width way and it reveals a pentagram containing seeds.

Traditions and Symbols

The Cornucopia, or Horn of Plenty, is a traditional symbol for Mabon, representing the wealth of harvest and the balance of both male (phallic) and female (hollow and receptive).

Harvest tools (scythe, baskets), acorns, pinecones, seeds, fall leaves.

You may decide to add items that represent your own personal harvest both figuratively and literally.

Deities associated with Mabon are Green Man, Demeter, Persephone, Morrigan, Pomona, Inanna.

Animals associated are owl, stag, blackbird, salmon.

Suggestions of ways to celebrate.

Celebrate with a feast for friends and family using your own and locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Go for a walk to collect leaves, seeds, cones and fall blooming wildflowers

Complete unfinished projects and clear your home of unwanted items to prepare for the indoor winter months.

Fall is a wonderful time to plant trees, seeds, and shrubs. Plant bulbs with an aspiration or idea for Spring that you will remember when they begin to sprout after their winter underground. 

Mabon Ritual of Gratitude

Start by creating an altar. As you are setting up your altar anoint the items and yourself with the Mabon oil. Think about the ways you create balance within yourself and in the physical world.

When you are ready anoint and light your candle giving thanks to the Earth, Goddesses, Gods, and Ancestors who stand behind you in all that you do and all that you are. Thank them sincerely like you would a friend that has given you help. Ask for nothing in return. You can leave an offering on your altar to show that you are aware of the assistance that you are receiving.

Light your incense, breathe deeply and focus on the burning Candle. What are you grateful for? You might want to have paper and pen to write down what comes to mind. During challenging times gratitude magic can bring powerful change. Health, partner, family members, the friend that checks in on you every week, signing up for an online class, making it through the day, gratitude comes in many forms. The practice is centering, calming and a reminder of what is important. Spend as much time as it takes and speak aloud what you appreciate about each. You can place your writing on your altar or burn and release. You may decide to write a note of thanks to the people in your life who make your life better. When you are ready to end set the intention to hold these feelings of gratefulness and that you will be able to feel them again whenever you need.

 Do not forget to blow out your candle and incense.

Have a Blessed Mabon!

 Passing the threshold into a new month gives us the opportunity connect with ourselves and the divine, much like the ancient Romans practiced long ago. The Kalends marks the first day of each month in the Roman calendar. These special days were steeped in rituals and traditions that connected daily life to the divine.

Honoring the Roman Lares

The Lares belong to a class of tutelary deities worshipped by pagan Romans.

They were originally gods of cultivated fields, and Romans would worship them at the intersections where their allotment joined others. Eventually, they became known as Lares familiaris, household spirits who brought prosperity and abundance to the family. Some scholars believe they were the spirits of departed loved ones. Roman families would build shrines dedicated to the Lares, usually around the hearth, as this was considered the center of the family home. 

The family's relationship with their household Lares would affect the well-being of the family, their crops, and their fortune. Offerings would be given on special occasions, one of them being Kalends, the first of the month. Towards the 5th century, kalends rituals would phase out of pagan Roman routines, all except the most famous Kalends celebration, the New Year celebration on the First of January.

The Kalends Ceremony

Ancient Roman families would participate in a ritual on the Kalends  of every month, led by the head of the household, or the Paterfamilias. The ceremony would be performed at sunrise or at sunset if circumstances made the earlier ceremony impossible. The participants would not be permitted to eat until the ritual was over (if being performed at sunrise). The family would dress in white linens, and offerings would be made to the Lares at the household shrine. The purpose of this ritual was to purify and bring prosperity to the family, as well as correct any wrongdoing committed in the last month. 

A candle on the shrine would be lit, and some incense would be burned to purify the space. The head of the household would lead prayers to chosen Gods, usually related to the upcoming month, or patron deities of the family. After prayers were finished, an offering would be made to the Gods, usually a cake or bread with wine. Following this, the same would be repeated for the Lares of he household. A garland would be placed on the shrine in dedication to the Lares.

Celebrating the First of the Month

If you are looking to bring routine into your spiritual practice, or want to connect more with your household spirits, you may take inspiration from the Roman Kalends. A monthly ritual will help you build a spiritual practice around a busy life. Down the road, you may welcome other deities into your first-of-the-month ritual, or experiment with different offerings and workings. First, you will want a dedicated space for your practice. Find the “hearth” of your home: it can be a literal fireplace or a symbolic one. An area of your home you interact with daily is better than one tucked away out of sight. Find an image or an icon to represent your household spirits. You can furnish the shrine with whatever inspires you. A candle and vessel for lighting incense will be important when performing rituals. The first of each month is a good time to reflect on the month passed, and welcome stepping into a new one. Set your intentions, celebrate what is to come, and commune with the spirits that surround you.  What are some rituals you perform every month?