Observance of the Sabbath day is one of the most fundamental requirements of Judaism. The Sabbath day is devoted to prayer, study of the Law and abstinence from any form of productive work. Every Friday afternoon the town crier walked through the Jewish neighbourhoods in Ioannina announcing the Time of the Sabbath. Jewish shops shut, women called an end to their domestic chores, the food was ready and candles lit just before sunset. Men made their way to the synagogue and then went home to the Sabbath meal, at which they blessed the wine and wished their children good fortune. On the morning of the Sabbath day a Christian neighbour would light the oil lamp in Jewish homes and bring in burning coals for the brazier in winter months. Weather permitting, the Romaniote Jews of Ioannina would walk along the shore of the lake, otherwise they would congregate in one another's homes.
