February 16

The 16th of February was the Fornacalia was held in honor of bread, and the ovens used to dry grains. 

The Fornacalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the goddess Fornax in order that the grain might be properly baked¹. The festival is said to have been instituted by Numa Pompilius². The time for its celebration was proclaimed every year by the curio maximus, who announced in tablets, which were placed in the forum, the different part which each curia had to take in the celebration of the festival. Those persons who did not know to what curia they belonged, performed the sacred rites on the Quirinalia, which fell on the last day of theFornacalia. The Fornacalia continued to be celebrated in the time of Lactantius³.