saturnalia
pronunciation
How to pronounce saturnalia in British English:
UK [ˌsætə'neɪlɪə]
How to pronounce saturnalia in American English:
US [ˌsætər'neɪlɪr]
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- Noun:
- a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
Word Origin
- saturnalia (n.)
- time of merrymaking, 1590s, from Latin Saturnalia, ancient Roman festivals of Saturn (held in December), a time of merrymaking for all, from neuter plural of adjective Saturnalis "pertaining to Saturn," from Saturnus (see Saturn). They correspond to the Greek Kronia. The extended sense of "period of unrestrained revelry" is first attested 1782. Related: Saturnalian.
Example
- 1. No , because we don 't celebrate the ancient pagan festival of saturnalia .
- 2. Saturnalia the ancient roman seven-day festival of saturn , which began on december 17 .
- 3. The romans called this celebration saturnalia , in honor of their god saturn .
- 4. Festivals like saturnalia appeared to undermine the social order , but paradoxically helped to reaffirm it , by allowing people to act out their frustrations in a harmless way .
- 5. During saturnalia , a roman winter celebration , participants would dance , drink and play jokes on each other ; slaves pretended to rule their masters , and a mock king , the lord of misrule , reigned for a day .