The Feasts and the Ceremonies of the Greek Regions of the Ottoman Empire Drawing based on original material, mainly engravings from the 16th-19th centuries Feasts and ceremonies celebrated the calendar year, significant events of a person's life, death and the memory of cherished relatives. The unique character of each ceremony helped to define the individual and the group, to preserve local memories and traditions and to forge an identity within an Empire that prescribed the same rules for all its subjects.