What are the differences and similarities between the pagan rituals Solstice and Saturnalia?

Question

Solstice - celebrations honoring Poseidon
Saturnalia - honoring the god of sowing, Saturn

What are the differences and similarities?

Answer 1

Romans honoring two different deities. They had a LOT of holidays for the different deities and dedications of temples.

Not all pagans celebrate Roman deities - they celebrate the Solstice as the day when the earth tilts and the sun begins to gain in time and strength towards spring and summer. Also to honor the longest night of the year.

Answer 2

Many ancient cultures celebrated the changing of the seasons. In the northern hemisphere in Europe, for example, the winter solstice, which was the shortest day of the year, occurs around Dec. 25th. These celebrations were based on the decline of winter. Since during winter animals were penned, people stayed in doors, crops didn't grow, etc.,and to know that winter was half over and on its way out was a time of celebration.
In the ancient Roman system of religion, Saturn was the god of agriculture. Each year during the summer, the god Jupiter would force Saturn out of his dominant position in the heavenly realm and the days would begin to shorten. In the temple to Saturn in Rome, the feet of Saturn were then symbolically bound with chains until the winter solstice when the length of days began to increase. It was this winter solstice that was a time of celebration and exchange of gifts as the hardness of winter began to wane and the days grew longer.
In the Roman Empire, by the time of Christ, the winter festival was known as Saturnalia. So the solstice is the day when the sun is furthest from the earth and the shortest day of the year, and Saturnalia was the name of the festival celebrating the solstice in the Roman Empire. The Roman Church was unable to get rid of Saturnalia, so early in the 4th Century, they adopted the holiday and tried to convert it a Christian celebration of the Lord's birth. They called it the Feast of the Nativity. This custom has been part of western culture ever since. Merry Christmas!

Answer 3

No difference really
Solstice the shortest day, carries over to Saturnalia the day that the day start growing longer.
Dec 25th

Answer 4

That's silly, who would study that?