Definitions for saturnalia
ˌsæt ərˈneɪ li ə, -ˈneɪl yəsat·ur·na·li·a

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Saturnalianoun

   an orgiastic festival in ancient Rome in honor of Saturn

2. orgy, debauch, debauchery, saturnalia, riot, bacchanal, bacchanalia, drunken revelrynoun

   a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Saturnalianoun

   A holiday to mark the winter solstice.

2. saturnalianoun

   A period or occasion of general license, in which the passions or vices have riotous indulgence; a period of unrestrained revelry.

   2001. "We advanced into the main hall, already aroar with a saturnalia of sozzled gestures and gibbering." uE000185970uE001 Chip Kidd, The Cheese Monkeys

3. Etymology: From Sāturnālia, a festival of the winter solstice

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Saturnalia

   Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves as it was seen as a time of liberty for both slaves and freedmen alike. A common custom was the election of a "King of the Saturnalia", who gave orders to people, which were followed and presided over the merrymaking. The gifts exchanged were usually gag gifts or small figurines made of wax or pottery known as sigillaria. The poet Catullus called it "the best of days".Saturnalia was the Roman equivalent to the earlier Greek holiday of Kronia, which was celebrated during the Attic month of Hekatombaion in late midsummer. It held theological importance for some Romans, who saw it as a restoration of the ancient Golden Age, when the world was ruled by Saturn. The Neoplatonist philosopher Porphyry interpreted the freedom associated with Saturnalia as symbolizing the "freeing of souls into immortality". Saturnalia may have influenced some of the customs associated with later celebrations in western Europe occurring in midwinter, particularly traditions associated with Christmas, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and Epiphany. In particular, the historical western European Christmas custom of electing a "Lord of Misrule" may have its roots in Saturnalia celebrations.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. saturnalia

   Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival held annually in honor of Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture. It typically took place around late December and was characterized by feasting, role reversals, gift-giving, gambling, and general merrymaking. It is considered to be the precursor to many Christmas traditions. In current usage, the term saturnalia can also refer to any situation characterized by reckless abandon, excess, or unbridled enjoyment.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Saturnalia

   the festival of Saturn, celebrated in December, originally during one day, but afterward during seven days, as a period of unrestrained license and merriment for all classes, extending even to the slaves

2. Saturnalia

   hence: A period or occasion of general license, in which the passions or vices have riotous indulgence

3. Etymology: [L. See Saturn.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Saturnalia

   Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the deity Saturn held on December 17 of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through December 23. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves. The poet Catullus called it "the best of days." In Roman mythology, Saturn was an agricultural deity who reigned over the world in the Golden Age, when humans enjoyed the spontaneous bounty of the earth without labor in a state of social egalitarianism. The revelries of Saturnalia were supposed to reflect the conditions of the lost mythical age, not all of them desirable. The Greek equivalent was the Kronia. Although probably the best-known Roman holiday, Saturnalia as a whole is not described from beginning to end in any single ancient source. Modern understanding of the festival is pieced together from several accounts dealing with various aspects. The Saturnalia was the dramatic setting of the multivolume work of that name by Macrobius, a Latin writer from late antiquity who is the major source for the holiday. In one of the interpretations in Macrobius's work, Saturnalia is a festival of light leading to the winter solstice, with the abundant presence of candles symbolizing the quest for knowledge and truth. The renewal of light and the coming of the new year was celebrated in the later Roman Empire at the Dies Natalis of Sol Invictus, the "Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun," on December 25.

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Saturnalia

   a festival in ancient Rome in honour of Saturn, in which all classes, free and bond, and young and old, enjoyed and indulged in all kinds of merriment without restraint.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Saturnalia

   The great winter festival of the Romans in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture.

MythologyRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Saturnalia

   (Saturna′lia). Festivals held in honor of Saturn about the 16th or 18th of December. Principally famous for the riotous disorder which generally attended them.

Matched Categories

1. • Festival
   • Revelry

Anagrams for saturnalia »

1. Australian

How to pronounce saturnalia?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

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   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

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   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

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   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

   South African

How to say saturnalia in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of saturnalia in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of saturnalia in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of saturnalia in a Sentence

1. Wyndham Lewis:

   In the democratic western countries so-called capitalism leads a saturnalia of freedom, like a bastard brother of reform.

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=saturnalia
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Saturnalia
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saturnalia
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=saturnalia
7. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Saturnalia
8. ^ Etymology and Origins
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54657/pg54657-images.html#:~:text=saturnalia
9. ^ Mythology
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/42474/pg42474-images.html#:~:text=saturnalia