Feast

What is a Feast?

An event at which the main activity is the consumption of an elaborate meal, often accompanied by entertainment. A feast might also be an activity at an event where feasting is not the main, or only, focus. Many winter SCA events are feasts, as they are well suited to be held indoors at venues with kitchen facilities. Households will often have their own feasts, either as private events, or in their encampments at camping events.

Feasts can vary widely. Some can be small and intimate, some large and elaborate. They are often focused on period foods and recipes, many times following a theme or setting. They may be a modern food potluck. They can even not provide food at all, but be a bring-your-own-meal event, just providing a place to eat, and entertainment.

By and large, events that are primarily feasts will tend towards the more elaborate period affairs, with dedicated cooks and possibly even servers. Many have traditions of toasts, pre-feast games and activities, and local or even royal courts.

Feast Glossary

Some terms that are associated with feasts in particular:

• Period - dishes will be made from period recipes, with seasonings or ingredients that may be unfamiliar or surprising to the modern palate.
• On-board - tickets or entry will include food prepared for the feast.
• Off-board - entry does not include food, and you are expected to bring your own.
• Servers - volunteers that act as waiters and/or bussers. They may be arranged by the event staff, or volunteers may be asked from each table. Be nice to your servers.
• Potluck - a feast where the participants each bring a dish that together comprise part or all of a meal. Often what folks bring is coordinated in some way, such as via RSVP, or dishes might be assigned by the first letter of your last name.
• Alcohol policy - this will describe if the site is dry (no alcohol allowed), wet (allowed), or discrete (judiciously allowed in period containers).
• Stone Soup - this is a kind of potluck, typically held at an event that is not primarily a feast, where participants bring whatever they have on hand to contribute and share.
• Feast Gear - your place settings - dishes, bowls, silverware, table-mat, napkins, candle-holders, etc. Typically a feast will provide a table and possibly table cloths and some decorations, but you bring everything else. You may even need to bring chairs - or even tables - in some cases. Check the feast copy.

Feast Event Activities

Since dedicated feasts tend to involve lots of sitting (and a captive audience), they tend to include many other activities and entertainments. These can include:

• Bards - songs, stories, short plays, and other bardic entertainments are well suited for a feast. Many feasts include non-vocal music during dinner.
• Culinary Guild - as these guilds tend to put on the feasts, they also often have displays, sell recipe books, or recruit.
• Socials - feast days may start fairly early, and involve a long lead time where participants can socialize, work on projects, or play games. This may include bringing your own lunch.
• Games - feasts often mark the appearance of games tables, and/or specific game activities for children.
• Court - the branch presenting the feast will likely hold a court. If there is a royal presence, there may be a royal court.
• Displays - some feasts will feature arts and sciences displays, merchants, or other displays of interest.
• Classes - some feast will have teachers hold classes during the day. Sometimes these will be official Ithra classes.
• Fighting - many feasts may include a fight practice or small tourney of various kinds, during the day before the feast.

Feast Etiquette

• Many dedicated feasts are equivalent to fancy dinners, so it's an excellent opportunity to wear your best court garb, and put out your finest feast gear. However, this is never a requirement.

• Feasts require a lot of volunteer time and effort from the organizers, cooks, and servers. Please help as much as you can by assisting in set up, tear down, and clean up. With that in mind, be prepared to arrive early, or stay late, if you can.

• In particular many feasts are not equipped to allow all the participants to wash their dishes and feast gear. Please respect the rules of the feasts in this regard, and always be prepared to take your feast gear home dirty to be washed at home (a garbage bag is helpful here). Don't attempt to use the restrooms to wash feast gear.

• Do remember one of the prime rules of the SCA applies equally to feasts in rented halls as it does to camping - "Always leave the site cleaner than you found it".

• Always ask when choosing spots if they are free, if others have already reserved spots at that table.

• Be a good neighbor - don't neglect those next to you, even if they aren't in your group. A little polite, friendly conversation can go a long way to making new friends and welcoming newcomers. Don't feel affronted if they are disinclined to small talk either - not everyone is outgoing, and it's best to be friendly without being intrusive.

Lists of Feasts

See Category:Feasts