Saturnalia

'Dii propitii!' Do as the Romans do and celebrate the ancient festival of Saturnalia at Southend Central Museum.

Saturnalia, a public holiday centred on the god Saturn, was traditionally held in December throughout the Roman Empire. While there was no tree, turkey or Santa Claus the festival is often seen as a predecessor to Christmas, as a period of merriment, feasting and gift giving. Revellers also celebrated the fun subversion of societal norms, with members of different classes swapping places and men and women exchanging clothes and roles. It was looked forward to all year, with the Roman poet Catullus calling it the 'best of days'.

Join us at Southend Central Museum on 19 December for the debut of our 'museum lates' series to see in this Saturnalia season. Explore 'Romans: Settling in Southend' after hours with a complementary glass of wine, before getting hands on with history in an…