Volcanalia

The Volcanalia was an ancient Roman festival dedicated to Vulcan, the god of fire, particularly its destructive aspects like volcanoes and conflagrations. This festival was held annually on August 23rd. A significant ritual during the Volcanalia involved the heads of Roman families throwing small fish into a fire, though the exact meaning of this rite is unknown. Vulcan was also invoked to prevent fires, as indicated by his epithets Quietus and Mulciber, meaning Fire Allayer. His temples were typically situated outside the city limits due to his association with destructive fire.1