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→Relationship to pagan festivals: capitalize
The end of the year was a "holiday season" of varied celebration in pagan Rome, and it remains so in modern times. Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for three to five days. It was followed by ''Dies Natalis Solis Invicti'' on December 25 and Kalends on January 1 to January 4. Saturnalia was exclusive to Italy while Sol was a sun god associated with emperors [[Aurelian]] and [[Constantine]].
The end of the year was a "holiday season" of varied celebration in pagan Rome, and it remains so in modern times. Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for three to five days. It was followed by ''Dies Natalis Solis Invicti'' on December 25 and Kalends on January 1 to January 4. Saturnalia was exclusive to Italy while Sol was a sun god associated with emperors [[Aurelian]] and [[Constantine]].
The cycle of solstice and equinox is a natural phenomena significant to religions of widely varying character. As Steven Hijmans wrote in ''Sol, the sun in the art and religions of Rome'':
The cycle of solstice and equinox is a natural phenomena significant to religions of widely varying character. As Steven Hijmans wrote in ''Sol: The Sun in the Art and Religions of Rome'':
{{cquote|It is cosmic symbolism ... which inspired the Church leadership in Rome to elect the winter solstice, December 25, as the birthday of Christ, and the summer solstice as that of John the Baptist, supplemented by the equinoxes as their respective dates of conception. While they were aware that pagans called this day the “birthday” of Sol Invictus, this did not concern them and it did not play any role in their choice of date for Christmas.<ref name="Hijmans">Hijmans, p. 595.</ref>}}
{{cquote|It is cosmic symbolism ... which inspired the Church leadership in Rome to elect the winter solstice, December 25, as the birthday of Christ, and the summer solstice as that of John the Baptist, supplemented by the equinoxes as their respective dates of conception. While they were aware that pagans called this day the “birthday” of Sol Invictus, this did not concern them and it did not play any role in their choice of date for Christmas.<ref name="Hijmans">Hijmans, p. 595.</ref>}}