That’s certainly where our custom of Christmas wreaths and mistletoe come from. This was a common act of sympathetic magic used in many so-called 'pagan' societies. GREENERY - Around mid-winter, the Romans decorated their houses with greenery. It wasn’t until about AD 400 that church leaders decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus on this day, possibly in an attempt to overlay and obliterate these 'pagan' holidays. BIRTH OF A GOD - Some scholars believe that the Persian god Mithras and/or the Roman god Sol Invictus had birthday celebrations on the winter solstice which fell on 25 December in the Roman calendar. And some Romans celebrated the birth of a new god from the Middle East at this time. The Saturnalia was essentially a pagan festival to bring back the sun. WINTER SOLSTICE - The Saturnalia began on December 17, a few days before the winter solstice. When I visit schools to talk about my Roman Mysteries, I often share the following dozen aspects of the Saturnalia which make children realise that Christmas has plenty of non-Christian aspects: It was the custom to greet one another with the phrase Io Saturnalia! ( Yo Saturnalia?) One of my Roman Mysteries, The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina, was set during the mid-winter festival and I'm currently working on another one for my new Roman Mystery Scroll series, provisionally titled The Thunder Omen.

A sacrifice of piglets was made to the god Saturn along with other rites, and there followed several days of feasting and fun.

The Saturnalia was one of the most popular festivals in Ancient Rome, possibly going back to Etruscan times. What do Christmas crackers, mulled wine, Santa hats, office parties, presents, candles, pine trees and mistletoe have to do with ancient Rome? Caroline wearing a pilleum for a Saturnalia talk

Pagan saturnalia