At this time is Saturnalia, an historic Roman vacation with a protracted custom right here on the Volokh Conspiracy. Admittedly, it is custom solely in as far as I’ve put up a submit about it each December 17 for the final a number of years. However, by web requirements, that is a very historic custom, certainly!
The Encyclopedia Romana has a useful description of Saturnalia:
Through the vacation, restrictions have been relaxed and the social order inverted. Playing was allowed in public. Slaves have been permitted to make use of cube and didn’t should work. . . Throughout the household, a Lord of Misrule was chosen. Slaves have been handled as equals, allowed to put on their masters’ clothes, and be waited on at time for dinner in remembrance of an earlier golden age thought to have been ushered in by the god. Within the Saturnalia, Lucian relates that “Throughout My week the intense is barred; no enterprise allowed. Ingesting, noise and video games and cube, appointing of kings and feasting of slaves, singing bare, clapping of frenzied fingers, an occasional ducking of corked faces in icy water—such are the features over which I preside.”
As is often the case, now we have no scarcity of sturdy candidates for the place of Lord of Misrule. Loads of politicians in each main events qualify, as do many different politically influential individuals.
Pleased Saturnalia to all the buddies, Romans, and Volokh Conspiracy readers on the market!
NOTE: Most of this submit is adopted from earlier Saturnalia posts.
