Prostitutes had a role in several ancient Roman religious observances, mainly in the month of April.

Only then, Paoul guessed, would the true celebrations - the ancient, unruly observance of the Crale - begin.

It is a most ancient observance and one which is held in highest respect.

Since the churches of Asia Minor in all probability had the more ancient observance, they refused submission, and the difference continued.

By re-inaugurating this civic birthday celebration and ancient religious observance, we hope to honor the Southland's history and heritage, celebrate our City's accomplishments and diversity, and unite our multicultural community to face our common challenges.

It is a way of life, of belief and practice that exemplifies the adherence to tradition and change, a healthy respect for our ancient observances - dietary laws, the Sabbath, festivals, holidays, daily prayer - and the need to adapt these to contemporary life.

A number of ecclesiastical dignitaries, known as the party of the protopopes (deans), had accepted the responsibility for the revision of the church service-books inaugurated by the late Patriarch Joasaph, and a few other very trivial rectifications of certain ancient observances.

The lack of chairs may also have been to provide more space for prostration, another ancient Jewish observance that the Jews of Yemen continued to practise until very recent times.

These occasions are usually rooted in a rich mixture of fact, legend, and ancient seasonal observances.