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jrhooo t1_j1qe4l1 wrote

Reply to comment by Igmu_TL in TIL about Saturnalia - a Roman Holiday held between 17 - 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere. by TurboBennett

“Smother” isn’t really the right word IMO.

SOME times Christian customs were patterned in a way to make converting and assimilating non-Christians easier.

BUT

Other times it was basically the reverse.

Christians were not always the social majority after all.

So depending on the time frame, you’d have Christians assimilate to the society they were in, making their celebration fit within the larger social groups customs, so that they could fit in, or stay off the radar, or whatever else made it easier to practice their faith without drawing negative attention

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