Saturnalia is a pagan festival held in mid December honoring the Agricultural God Saturn. Due to its closeness to the winter solstice its evolved to be akin to Christmas.
Saturnalia came from a farming ritual that offered gifts and sacrifice to the gods to celebrate the winter solstice and the harvest. Over time, by 133 to 131 B.C. these rituals turned into a festival called saturnalia. This festival starts on December 17th and ended on the solstice on the 23rd. During this week everything stopped from work to schools to law offices. They wore colorful clothes calked synthesis, decorated homes with wreaths and other plants, they gambled, drank, sang, feasted, and gifted each other presents. The last day of Saturnalia and gifted each other terracotta figures known as signillaria. All people including slaves celebrated Saturnalia.
In the 4th century A.D. the temple of Saturn in Rome was constructed to replace an earlier temple. This temple served as the center for Saturnalia and on the first day of the festivities a pig would be sacrificed in the temple. The statue of Saturn would have his feet tied but during this festival the bonds were loosened to symbolize the gods liberation.
Each or rather most households would choose a mock king called Saturnalicius Princeps. This person was responsible for causing mischief, insulting others, chasing girls, and more. This elect ruled over chaos in comparison to the normal order. They were elected due to a ritual of hiding coins or other small things, whoever found it was elected. Much as Saturnalia evolved from Greek tradition so too has Christmas evolved from Saturnalia.
This festival was known as the best of times by Pliny for a reason.
Sources:
https://link.medium.com/MTZ5KyT17ub
https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/saturnalia
https://www.worldhistory.org/Saturnalia/
#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16690081746467&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.academuseducation.co.uk%2Fpost%2Fhow-saturnalia-became-christmas-the-transition-from-ancient-to-present
https://www.learnreligions.com/about-celebrating-saturnalia-2562994
https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/saturnalia-ancient-rome-004963
Comment