the sixteenth birthday of the average teenage male living in a first world country. Additional to the controversy stirred up by Nero’s Juvenalia during his reign, the concept of Juvenalia has stirred up a considerable amount of argument in modern age religion, with the debate between Pagan’s and Christians over each other’s histories. Due to Christian persecution under Nero in 64 A.D. general public view on Christians at such a time was not one of positive outlook. After Nero accused Christians of setting fire to Rome, the public, looking for someone on which to aim their blame, were deflected from Nero onto Christians, a sort of persecution that has stayed paramount between Christianity and Paganism since this era. Accusations, then, began to surface about the Christian holiday of Christmas, being a result of inspiration by Nero’s Juvenalia. However, due to the Juvenalia being a festival that was not limited to, but more centered around upper classes, and slightly less known to the general population, accusers fail to see that these are two unrelated subjects, especially at a fundamental level. Christmas is focused upon the birth of a deity, whereas Juvenalia is focused upon the “coming of age” of the (upper class) Roman male. References Ancient Roman festivals 59 establishments 50s establishments in the Roman Empire 50s establishments January observances