The day before Vesuvius erupted was not a normal day, it was the Vulcanalia. In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Vulcan is the god of fire, including the fire of volcanoes, metalworking and the forge. Vulcan is often portrayed with a blacksmith's hammer. Vulcanalia was the annual festival held August 23rd in his honour. The festival of Vulcan, The Vulcanalia was part of a cycle of the four festivities of the second half of August Consualia on August 21st, Opiconsivia on August 25th and Volturnalia on the 27th and on the 23rd Vulcanalia. The Festival in honor of Vulcan was celebrated in the Summer each year, when the summer heat placed crops at risk of burning. During the festival bonfires were created in honour of the god, live fish or small animals were often thrown in as a sacrifice, to be consumed in the place of humans. At the time some believed that the eruption was because Vulcan was angry.
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