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Brumalia was an ancient Byzantine winter festival, held for a period of 24 days starting on 24 November. Ending on 17 December the festival marked the beginning of the Saturnalia festival.

Each of the 24 days of Brumalia were assigned a letter of the Greek alphabet, and it was customary to prepare a feast for each of your friends who's name began with that letter.

Brumalia in Ancient Rome

Sources from Constantinople report that Brumalia was celebrated in ancient Rome. John Malalas describing how the festival was instituted by Romulus himself, however, no sources from ancient Rome substansiate Malalas' claim. Instead, the Bruma festival, is reported to have taken place on 24 November and was intended to signify the coming Winter Solstice one month later. Bruma can also refer to the Winter Solstice itself on 25 December

In his thesis, Dr Crawford argued that the Brumalia festival was a later Byzantine innovation and not practised in ancient Rome. Instead, Rome celebrated two distinct festivals, the Bruma on 24 November, and Saturnalis beginning on 17 December. Within Constantinople the former festival was extended to include the 24 days leading up to Saturnalia and the alphabet tradition was introduced.

It also a festival annually held by Connecticut College.

Brumalien