Sacer, Sanctus

The term "sacred" has a relevant importance in a pagan life because "sacer" in Latin means "pertaining Gods". Consacrating means "give to Gods": a "Res Sacra" is something pertaining "Superi" Gods. Violating something sacred implies a Gods' judgement.

Res Sacrae are taken distinct from Res Religiosae (pertaining Inferi Gods) and Res Sanctae (whole violation implies a mankind's judgement - sentence)

Being anything permeated by a divine presence, anything "normal" is thus "sacred". For example:

family (Vesta) is sacred
a person (Genius fo man/Juno for woman) is sacred
places and sites (Genius Loci) are sacred
woods (Diana) are sacred
Earth (Tellus) is sacred
borders and limits (Terminus) are sacred
time (Kronos) is sacred
sea (Poseidon) is sacred
water (Neptun) is sacred
the dawn (Mater Matuta) is sacred
bread (Ceres) is sacred
...

The sleep, meals, animal, trees and plants, guests, anything can be related to a divine presence because Gods are not far away in the sky but around us being component of the existence. Anything thus is worth of "sacred" respect. Just what is abnormal is not sacred.

The term "Sanctus" (Holy) is linked to human activities whose violation depends on the mankind judgement: a site (a wood, a temple) can be sacred because a Pontifex has identified there a divine presence and the violation of this site implies the God's/Goddess' opposition. A profanation implies divine negative signs. A part of ths site may be defined by a Pontifex "Sancta" (Holy) whose profanation will imply some "Sanctiones/Sanctions" or the human's judgement.