Fornacalia
FORNACA´LIAa festival in honour of Fornax, the goddess of furnaces, in order that the corn might be properly baked (Festus, s. v.). This ancient festival is said to have been instituted by Numa (Plin. H. N, 18.8), and, like the FORDICIDIAwas celebrated by the Curies, probably in the Forum. The time for its celebration was proclaimed every year by the Curio Maximus, who announced on 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, called from this circumstance the Stultorum feriae, which fell on the 17th of February. The Fornacalia usually preceded this festival, but sometimes coincided with it. It would seem that only plebeians could be ignorant of what curia they belonged to. (Ovid, Fasti, 2.513-532; Varr. L. L. 6.13, with Müller's note; Festus, s. vv. Quirinalia, Stultorum feriae; Marquardt, Staatsverw. 3.190 f.) The Fornacalia continued to be celebrated in the time of Lactantius (Lactant. 1.20.35).
[W.S] [W.W]A Roman festival held in February in honour of Fornax, the goddess of ovens. It was said to have been founded by Numa, and may be described as a thanksgiving for the earliest enjoyment of the newly-gathered corn. It was held in the Forum by the Curiae, or ancient unions of kinsmen, under the superintendence of the Curio Maximus, or president of the masters of the curiae. Corn was baked in ovens in the ancient fashion. All who missed the festival were called fools (stulti), as being supposed not to know which was their curia, and had to make an offering at the socalled Feast of Fools (stultorum feriae) on the 17th February, the day of the Quirinalia. See Pliny, H. N. xviii. 8; Ovid, Fasti, ii. 513-532; Varro, L. L. vi. 13; Festus, s. v. Stultorum Feriae.