Anvil firing (also known in the USA as an anvil launching or an anvil shooting) which in the USA is the practice of firing an anvil into the air with gunpowder. In the UK this is where black powder is filled onto the top of the Anvil and ignited. If the Anvil did not shatter it was deemed safe to use. Anvils were also traditionally fired on St. Clement's Day, honoring Pope Clement I, the patron saint of blacksmiths and metalworkers.