In religions, sacred (from Latin, sacrum, "sacrifice"; or simply in English, "holy") items are believed by followers to be intimately connected with the supernatural, or divinity, and are thus greatly revered. For example, pagans consider the Earth sacred, while Roman Catholics consider the transubstantiated host sacred.
Analogously, the word "sacred" is also sometimes used in regard to items highly esteemed by secular institutions or individuals. For instance, one might say that the US government considers the Stars and Stripes to be sacred.
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