Welcome to ...

The place where the world comes together in honesty and mirth.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.


Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Pagan Party: New Year’s traditions that hail from the depths of antiquity

If your head really hurts on New Year's Day, you could point your finger at the Babylonians who started this new year revelry nonsense. Though the ancient Romans added the idea of alcoholic excess, or at least perfected it.

Julius Caesar fixed the start of the year on January 1st by letting the previous year run to 445 days rather than the traditional 365. The Roman citizenry made their winter festival Saturnalia a celebration without rules. So, let's blame the Romans.

Any way you slice it, New Year's is among the very oldest and most persistent of human celebrations.

Read the rest here.

No comments: