Roman Festival of Saturnalia (Christmas)
Paul Thompson
- Organisation:
- Guarderobe
- Region:
- Anywhere
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £80 plus travel
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 12th February 2026
- Tagged:
- Roman Britain | Romans | Christmas | Archaeology
Io Saturnalia! Stuck for ideas this Christmas? Well come along and find out how the Romans celebrated the midwinter feast of Saturnalia. Long before the Christians adopted this week long festival for their own purposes it was a time associated with much merrymaking, eating and drinking and of course gift giving! Candles and flames were a feature of mid-winter celebrations as in many cultures today. Social rules were relaxed and slaves were even allowed to exchange roles with their masters. Local Roman Geminus will be pleased to show how the household are making preparations for the feast and to share some of their favourite family recipes of the food that they have prepared especially for Saturnalia.
Views: 4 | Enquiries: 0About Paul Thompson
Guarderobe offer professional Historical talks in costume with (sometimes original) replica objects from prehistory, Early Roman, Late Roman, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Anglo Saxon, Vikings, Normans, early Medieval, 15th century, Tudors, The Gun Powder Treason, English Civil War, Victorian Surgeon, Victorian Life, WW1 In the Trenches, WW1 Home Front, and several WW2 topics including RAF, Army (Early War, D-Day, Far East) and Civil Defence. We do not use slides but do need some tables and an audience.
We are both archaeologists and have worked in museums and in the field for many years so bring much experience, knowledge and some humour to topics. We have been giving talks for over 30 years in the Midlands.
Other Talks on SpeakerNet by Paul Thompson
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- WW1 - Life in Trenches.
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- Powder Treason! Guy Fawkes
- Life in and out of the Tudor Court
- Roman Burials
- Roman Gladiators
- George and Arthur: Late Roman Britain
- WW2 D-Day: Them and Us
- The Medieval Household
- The Medieval Household at Christmas
- The Tudor Household at Christmas
- Hastings 1066 Soldiers
- Burying your Anglo Saxon Ancestors
- Tommy and Dennis: A remarkable lady who fought in the Trenches
- Stille Nacht: 1914 Christmas Truce
- Keep the Home fires burning
- Border Reivers!
- The ABC of ARP
- Seen and not heard
- The Medieval Barber Surgeon
- The Tudor Barber Surgeon
- Medieval Death and Burial
- Bodices and Bloomers
- Robin Hood: fact and legend
- The Victorian way of death
- Beware the Resurrection Men
- The Greenfly and the Rose: SOE in WW2
- The Late Victorian Soldier
- Ancient Egyptian life and death
- Trouble and Strife. The English Civil War – in Coventry
- National Service
- Vikings: The Norse Code
- Chocks Away! ~ WW2 RAF Pilot, Plotter, Bomber and Police
- Heavy Metal: Bronze Age Life
- The Ancient Greeks: Part 1 Archaic Period
- The Ancient Greeks: Part 2 Classical Period to 30BC
- The Ancient Greeks: Part 3 the Ptolemaic Period 332 to 30BC
- Armour through the Ages
- The Victorian Surgeon and Medicine
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