Originally, Brumalia was a holiday intended to honor Cronus, Demeter, and Bacchus. Bacchus by some beliefs was another facet of Hades’ personality so I chose to use it in my book. It was typically held in November, which makes no sense because it was intended to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Some sources indicate that the festival lasted for weeks, so that may explain the date discrepancy.

Brumalia was full of prophesied, visions, and not surprisingly, copious drinking. It really sounds like a surprisingly typical holiday party. There was even kissing under mistletoe and holly themed decorations.

So why did I use it in my book? I felt like the Underworld wouldn’t celebrate mainstream holidays like Christmas, but they would celebrate something around the same time. Hades is pretty considerate when it comes to encouraging the souls to keep their customs. Choosing an ancient holiday makes sense because he’s ancient. The celebration is kept open enough to where the souls could interpret it however they want. The palace had a ritzy party, but Brumalia was celebrated all across the Underworld in different ways.