Saturnalia

No terrible pranks were played on us yesterday, April Fool's Day, and even Fool's Fest, a wild drinking party, was a flop. Apparently, via Facebook, local college students had invited college students from all over to come to Normal (what an exciting location!) to party this weekend. Local university and town officials were proactive, increasing security, closing liquor stores early, and reminding tenants of fines for big, loud parties, and, poof, not much happened.

That is, there was no Saturnalia.  Saturnalia was a feasting, gift-giving, drinking party and pagan holiday that in some ways resembles Christmas, falling in mid-winter, the timing noted by scholars and theologians. And while it is April, we do have winter temperatures at the moment, and we did have hail yesterday, a fine April Fool's joke on all of us hoping for spring.

But I do love this detail of Saturnalia:

"Saturnalia involved the conventional sacrifices, a couch (lectisternium) set out in front of the temple of Saturn and the untying of the ropes that bound the statue of Saturn during the rest of the year."


I don't love the sacrifices. I do love the couch coincidence.  As this is the time of year when couches and armchairs start to emerge on front porches and lawns, to ease the drinking parties of students. Except for when there are ordinances against that. I wonder if the council debates do include references to the ancient Roman rites?


Anyhoo, the sun is up, the sky is blue...Ah! Today's imaginary playlist must include "Dear Prudence" by the Beatles!


Let us go now and celebrate the birthdays of Hans Christian Andersen and Casanova.  Let us be slatternly if we wish. And/or let us do our laundry, beat our rugs, clear our gardens.


And, if we are poets, write our poem-a-day.