Sara Bowler

Saturnalia

2012

Mask making workshop

In The Dark Times

CMR, Redruth

 

Following research into the Roman festival of Saturnalia, I discovered that many  Christmas traditions in the UK are based on this pagan festival celebrated from 19 December to 5 January. A time of topsy turvey behaviour when masters became servants and vice versa, when people ate and drank too much, sang in the streets and gave tacky gifts. The Medieval idea of the Lord of Misrule is belived to emanate from this period as is the European figure of Krampus.