Xmas in Rome: Goodwill, or God-Willing?

by Anthony Smith (staff) | Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Easter is the faith-defining Christian celebration yet Christmas is easily the most popular - both now and in times past. TRF gets in the Christmas spirit with some reflections on its traditional and religious – pagan and Christian – aspects in Rome.

Easter defines Christians: Jesus’s Passion – physical, spiritual, and mental suffering culminating in his death on the cross – and subsequent Resurrection are fundamental to Christian belief. Yet, we all love Christmas (non-Christians too!), a time for ‘goodwill to all’, a ‘time for giving’ (and increasingly for ‘receiving’) and the unmistakable Christmas cheer. Perhaps today we are simply too ignorant, or agnostic, to appreciate fully the Easter message of death, rebirth and universal salvation. The Christmas message is direct: make up for your worldly sins this year through charity and cheer, then enjoy the fresh start that comes with New Year, as symbolised by Christ’s birth.

Exiled in Rome
Being in Rome makes us feel odd about Christmas, the atmosphere is festive but it’s different. Carol singers are few, and mostly made up of expat church groups or clubs, and don’t expect neighbours to drop off a tray of Christmas cookies – a spongy panettone or pandoro being more likely. While Italians are no less obsessed about gift-lists and shopping in the lead up than Americans, Canadians or other English-speakers, for most ‘natale’ is about the family and relaxing at home with loved ones. You’re less likely to experience the drunken debauchery that takes place in Britain or Ireland at Yuletide (and most other times of the year for that matter…).

Christmas origins
Historians date Jesus of Nazareth’s birth to between 7 and 2 BC, yet the precise date is unknown. Early traditions indicate April or May but there is no agreement. The celebration of Natalis Christi (Christ’s Birth) on 25 December can be dated with certainty to the fourth century when the two Feasts of Our Lord (Epiphany on 6 January, Christmas on 25 December) were added to the ecclesiastical calendar. Originally Epiphany was more important though its significance is debated: western Christians believe it commemorates the visit of the Magi while eastern Christians celebrate Christ’s baptism. The Magis’ bestowal of gifts is still imitated by Christians in many countries, indeed, until recently Italians only gave gifts on 6 January (rather than 25 December) during the La Befana festival, which incidentally may have pagan roots (from the Sabine goddess ‘Strina’).
December 25 was also the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, (‘Birthday of the Undefeated Sun’), a pagan feast day celebrating solar deities of various origins (eg, the Persian Mithras) that were all the rage in the third century AD. It also coincided with other pagan festivals associated with the New Year and, mainly, the winter solstice (20-23 December) such as Greek Kronia/Roman Saturnalia and Anglo-Saxon Geol/Scandinavian Jul (from which we derive ‘Yuletide’).
Many of the local customs associated with these and other pre-Christian festivals were gradually accepted as being Christmas customs, for instance, during the Saturnalia (17-23 December) when Romans commemorated Ol’Father Time (the god Saturn), the practice of gift-giving (‘sigillaricia’, usually earthenware or pastry totems) and holding markets (‘sigillaria’) were widespread. Similar pre-Christian traditions can be cited to explain such traditions as feasting, carol-singing, Christmas trees and holly, Christmas logs, etc.

Religious traditions
The religious aspect of Christmas was, of course, far more prominent in bygone times. Christmas began (and still does today for practising Christian) on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, with the start of Advent (from adventus, meaning ‘coming’). In some countries Advent commenced on 11 November, the feast day of St Martin of Tours, hence reference to ‘the 40 days of St Martin’. Advent is a period of fasting (unpopular with common folk who frequently failed to observe the rite), prayer and reflection. The Early Church spoke of the first coming of Jesus Christ as Saviour and his second coming as Judge (at the Last Judgement). Hence, there was, and still is to a certain extent, an emphasis on repentance and ‘a sense of unworthiness’ about the past, leading to expectation, anticipation, preparation and longing for Eternal Life in the future.
For centuries in Rome a Triple Mass was observed by the Pope at Christmastime: the first was at St Mary Major, a church associated with Bethlehem and hence the Nativity, the second at St Anastasia on the Palatine, namely the royal chapel of the imperial power, and the third at St Peter’s, associated with Jerusalem.
The first and second steps of the Triple Mass died out years ago, indeed Midnight Mass at St Peter’s on Christmas Eve is the last vestige of this once ancient tradition. If you happen to be in Rome on Christmas Day, however, you can still observe dawn mass at St Anastasia’s church. (see below) Why not do your own small pilgrimage to the ancient Christmas traditions?

Spotlight:
Roman Christmas pilgrimage and the Triple Mass
Basilica of St. Anastasia al Palatino – one of Rome’s most ancient tituli (‘house churches’), likely from the third century AD, St  Anastasia’s has been the location for dawn Mass on Christmas Day (also St Anastasia’s feast day) since the fifth century. St Anastasia’s is open 24 hours a day (offering perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament) and is now the seat of the National Church of Peru in Rome. All that remains of the early church are the marble columns lining the nave.
Andrea Carandini, professor of archaeology at Rome’s La Sapienza University , claims the church’s location and Christmastime role stem from its proximity to the recently rediscovered Lupercal, the cave where Romulus and Remus were raised by the She-Wolf and, hence, a site closely associated with pagan Rome’s mythical foundation.