Brumalia
brumalia latin brumalia bruːˈmaːlia winter solstice festival celebrated eastern part roman empire rome minor holiday bruma november turned large scale end year festivity constantinople christianity festival included nighttime feasting drinking merriment time prophetic indication taken prediction remainder winter despite th century emperor justinian official repression paganism holiday celebrated least th century recorded christopher mytilene reference exist sacking capital fourth crusade name brumalia come bruma ˈbruːma winter solstice winter cold shortening brevima ˈbrɛwɪma presumed obsolete superlative form brevis later brevissima smallest shallowest briefest roman bruma known passing remark none predates imperial time mention brumalia found iv c church disapproval john malalas john lydian used rhetoric claimed introduction romulus roman life classical antiquity centred military agriculture hunting short cold day winter would halt form work brumalia festival celebrated dark interludal period chthonic character associated crop seed sown ground sprouting farmer would sacrifice pig saturn cere vinegrowers would sacrifice goat honor bacchus—for goat enemy vine would skin fill skinbags air jump civic official would bring offering firstfruits including wine olive oil grain honey priest cere although brumalia still celebrated late th century uncommon celebrant ostracised christian church however practice persist november december time custom later time roman would greet word blessing night vives annos live year revived festival annually held connecticut college