6 Things to Know When Picking a Family Reunion Location

6 Things to Know When Picking a Family Reunion Location The ideal family reunion site is one which is accessible and affordable for the majority of the people you want to attend. Its a place where everyone can be comfortable and enjoy their time together. When choosing a location for your family reunion, there are some important things to consider. Distance Will the family reunion be just one day, an entire weekend, or a full week? If youre planning a short reunion, most people probably wont be as willing to travel long distances to attend. Select a location close to a majority of family members - possibly a neighborhood park, a family members home, or a local hotel or restaurant. Longer gatherings, especially special one-time reunions, may warrant a more elaborate location such as a cruise, dude ranch, or family resort. Convenience How far will guests have to travel to get to your reunion location? If a number of them will have to travel by air, consider holding your family reunion in an area convenient to a major airport. A location thats accessible and easy to find means that more people will likely attend. Accessibility Do you have people with limited mobility attending your reunion? Elderly relatives in wheelchairs or young children in strollers? Make sure that the location you choose will comfortably accommodate everyone who will attend. Children need safe, supervised areas in which to play, and seniors will welcome comfortable seating and nearby restrooms. Affordability Cost - including rental fees, food, and parking fees - is a significant factor for most family reunions. Make sure that the location you choose fits into your budget, as well as that of your relatives. Many facilities offer group discounts and package deals for family reunions. Accommodations If your reunion is held in a setting that doesnt include overnight accommodations, make sure that a sufficient number of affordable rooms in local homes and hotels are available nearby. Features and Activities What attractions and activities does the reunion site and nearby area provide? Recreational activities such as boating, swimming, golf, and camping can be fun when incorporated into a family reunion. People attending from outside the area may enjoy a location with nearby museums, historic sites, amusement parks, sports facilities, and other attractions. Find a location that makes your reunion less of a meeting and more of a destination. When choosing your location, be sure to ask about facilities such as parking, restrooms and, for outdoor reunions, alternatives in case of rain. To help with the legwork, dont be afraid to make use of local travel bureaus and chambers of commerce. Since they like to bring people to their area, they are usually more than happy to help you with location ideas, lodging and dining listings, and recreation and sightseeing opportunities.

Celebrate the Saturnalia Festival

Celebrate the Saturnalia Festival For how many years shall this festival abide! Never shall age destroy so holy a day! While the hills of Latium remain and father Tiber, while thy Rome stands and the Capitol thou hast restored to the world, it shall continue.- Saturnalia Conspicuous Consumption in Saturnalia as in Christmas Around Christmas, its often difficult to separate commerce from religion. I want to do something different this year. Put up something other than a Christmas tree and creche to which the wooden wise men move nearer each day. Maybe Ill wear a funny peaked cap, buy my friends beeswax candles useful gifts in the event of a power failure, let my son (as Lord of Misrule) plan the day, and just maybe Ill celebrate it early... on December 17, the day of the Saturnalia. The Increasing Period of Saturnalia Celebration This Saturnalia problem may sound familiar. After all, stores put out their Christmas merchandise before Halloween these days. The Saturnalia was originally celebrated in Ancient Rome for only a day, but it was so popular it soon lasted a week, despite Augustus efforts to reduce it to three days, and Caligulas, to five. Like our Christmas, this important holy day (feriae publicae) was for more than fun and games. Saturnalia was a time to honor the god of sowing, Saturn. But again, like our Christmas, it was also a festival day (dies festus) on which a public banquet was prepared. An effigy of the god was probably one of the guests. Saturnalia Was the Best Part of the Roman Year The poet Catullus describes Saturnalia as the best of days. It was a time of celebration, visits to friends, and gift-giving, particularly of wax candles (cerei), and earthenware figurines (sigillaria). The best part of the Saturnalia (for slaves) was the temporary reversal of roles. Masters served meals to their slaves who were permitted the unaccustomed luxuries of leisure and gambling. Clothing was relaxed and included the peaked woollen cap that symbolized the freed slave, which looks an awful lot like Santa Clauss peaked red hat . A member of the familia (family plus slaves) was appointed Saturnalicius princeps, roughly, Lord of Misrule. Celebrate the Saturnalia in the 21st Century Im not alone in my desire to do something... old. Biblioteca Arcana and Nova Roma offer suggestions for turning December 17 into a celebration of Saturnalia. Bringing trees indoors to decorate is a modern custom. Nova Roma suggests decorating outdoor trees with sun and star symbols  and using swathes of greenery over doorways, windows, and on people. But Nova Roma emphasizes that decorations are secondary to revelry, feasting, drinking, merry-making, pranks, and gift-giving of Saturnalia. If you can get your friends and neighbors in the spirit, wrangle a parade permit from your municipality so you can dance (like a Roman) in the street. Biblioteca Arcanas suggestions are for celebrating the religious aspects of the Saturnalia and its two adjoining holidays, the Opalia for Saturns wife, Ops, goddess of plenty, and the Consualia for Consus, god of the storage bin. The site provides a complete ritual with an equipment list, information on preparation, location, timing, the banquet, and the conclusion. Io Saturnalia! Also see: Saturnalia Article