Festivals structured the practice of ancient Egyptian religion and gave ordinary people a chance to be actively involved in cult celebrations. The most sacred cult functions enacted in temple sanctuaries (see Chapter 3) excluded common people and even the lower ranks of priests. By contrast, religious festivals allowed for broad and direct public participation. Egyptians celebrated hundreds of festivals, both local and national, at regular intervals; most were held once a year. Records at Karnak from the reign of Thutmose III indicate that 54 days of each 365-day year were dedicated to festivals. By the reign of Ramesses III, the number had increased to 60. Each of these festivals provided an opportunity for the public to see and honor the god. Commoners could participate by witnessing a sacred performance, by communing with the gods through prayer and oracles, or simply by singing, dancing, and feasting. For ordinary Egyptians, festivals were a time of sensory stimulation through sound, movement, scents, and the nervous anticipation of being in the company of the divine. Festivals were community affairs, a time for the residents of a village or town to abandon their daily tasks and come together in celebration. These periodic, regularly recurring events helped mark the passing of the seasons in the agricultural calendar. Their repeated commemoration was part of the rhythm of life, providing security through predictability.