Question 6 - What time would like to see feast served?
Depends on when the event started. Usually around 7, to leave time for
dancing afterwards. Earlier if it's going to run long or if court is afterwards
or during.
Any later than 7 and the cleanup crew is going to be up too late.
Between 6 and 8pm.
Hmm 5:00 to 5:30 is a good start.
Between 6:00 and 7:00. Screw Court. Hehehehehhehe
Personally, I prefer to eat about 6'ish...give or take a half hour.
Between 6 and 7 pm is good, I think. Gives you long enough to get
really hungry after lunch, but doesn't start so late that it's midnight
before you are done and cleaned up.
Between 5:30 and 7:00 pm if at all possible. Too much later than 7 it becomes
an issue because if I have been active all day I don't want to be made
to wait too late, I'm hungry and tired, and liable to get cranky if I have
to wait too long.
On time. I prefer between 5pm and 7pm, but a given event may find
another time more appropriate. But whatever time feast is to be served
it needs to be on time. I can deal with a scheduled late feast by
eating a snack later in the day (serious blood sugar problems). However,
if a feast is an hour late I'm either faced with being too hungry to enjoy
it (or feeling too badly because I haven't eaten on time) or having to
determine how large a snack to get so as not to spoil my appetite for feast.
From my own experience autocrating, cooking feasts and so forth, I find
that serving feast too late in the evening makes it difficult for families
with children (who are screaming for food!), so I always advocate for an
early feast - 6:00 firm.
By 10 I would have fainted from hunger or left. Between 5 and 7 and NOT
AFTER COURT.
Somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00.
7 is too late when people had lunch around noon. I would say 6 at
the latest with the understanding that if the schedule MUST be pushed back
(the chickens are not ready, the King was late to Court, etc.) 6:30 would
be okay. At sites that do not allow food to be brought in by individuals
(there are more of these than one would think), 5 or 5:30 is better.
Any earlier starts to cut into the afternoon activities for those who will
be serving. I once went to a 2pm feast, which would have been fine
if they had publicized it (thinking feast was at suppertime, I had been
to McDonald's on the way to site at around 12:30). I did notice that
everyone was quite sprightly for the ball which was held 4:30-7.
However everyone had to scatter their separate ways to get something to
eat again before the bardic circle, so it didn't start until 10.
Between 6 and 7, so people can be leisurely and not be rushed after the
feast to vacate the hall (and sometimes even dance afterwards!)
Start early enough so that if I am still eating the last course the lights
don’t come on suddenly and an announcement is made to clean up and get
out so the Hall can be CLEANED RIGHT NOW!! so the Hall can be used for
the Revel.
I always thought feast should be set to happen around bout 6pm or sun set.
Between 6 and 8 pm. That's roughly the time frame when most folks
eat dinner, anyway, and allows people who attend with their young children
to get the kids fed and back on the road home (or in their beds at a camping
event) at a reasonable hour).
Ideally, sometime between 5:00 and 7:00. Also ideally, this should happen
*after* court, to facilitate that "gentle fading" I mentioned above. I've
seen far too many feasts where the socializing was just getting interesting
when they called court, and as soon as court was over, everybody packed
up and left.
Generally, not earlier than 5:00 and not later than 8:00.
I like feast about 7 PM. That way it can be done by 9, and the evening
given to fun.
Between 6 and 7, and AFTER court.
Very good question and one you are sure to get differing response to. For
(my group) because of distances traveled, starting the feast later
than 8 PM creates major logistics problems. Seven sounds good but above
all, start at the time announced (and announce a time please!).
Feast can start anytime from 5:30 to 7:00, more towards the earlier in
winter and the later in summer.
Feast should start no later than 8:00pm.
Around dinner time, which for me starts at 5-7 pm.
Starting between 6 and 8, depending on the other activities at the event.
If lunch was served later feasts work; if it wasn't then you probably need
to start earlier.
Whenever the Head Cook says the meal is ready! No, really, it should be
scheduled between 5:00 and 6:30, depending on the other activities of the
event. Getting fighters off of the field when the sun is still high is
difficult - scheduling a later feast in the hot months can save on tempers,
and the meal sits better if the feasters are not over-heated. The setting
sun should be a guide in those areas where it sets at a reasonable hour!
I've found that a good time for me is between 7 and 8 pm.
Somewhere around 5 or 6ish - much later and my lord complains that he will
waste away to nothingness. Plus we usually have a light lunch, so
we get hungry pretty early.
Around 7:00 is a good time to begin feast. It's over then by 9-9:30
and there is still time in the evening for after dinner dancing :)
If the meal will not be served until 7:00 or later then we skip feast even
if we have paid for it. I often check the program for the event and if
the feast is scheduled after 6:00 or 6:30 we go off-board because we have
learned that feasts are seldom served on time so if it is scheduled for
6:30 I know we will be lucky to eat by 7:30 or later and heck with that!!!
I've felt that around 6:00 is a very good time to serve feast. People are
beginning to get tired and hungry.. it gives time for the tournaments and
contests and events within the event to complete without leaving people
waiting around.
Here in (my Kingdom), we usually gauge the timing of the feast by when
the lists end. So if the fighting is supposed to go until 6, the feasts
usually start about 7. (Most fighters skip the feast anyway, by the way).
In the summer months, starting the feast later is fine. In winter, I'd
say 6-6:30 is good.
Starting between 6 and 7 pm.
I usually want feast around my usual supper time (6 pm). Up to an
hour earlier is okay, especially if there was no time allotted in the day's
scheduled activities for lunch, or if there was no inn on site and no convenient
source of prepared food nearby. Beginning feast at 8 pm is, in my
opinion, too late.
Around 6:00 (feasts always seem to start late, and I'm really hungry by
the time they get going. Sitting at your table for an hour, waiting
for a feast which should be served "any minute" is really annoying).
Around seven or earlier.
6:30 is great for me and if you are not sure, then earlier is ALWAYS better
than later.
Assuming an evening feast, 6:00-6:30pm is good.
If the feast is as usual scheduled to be supper (as opposed to lunch),
starting somewhere in the region of 6-8pm usually feels about right.
The problem is usually not so much when the feast is -scheduled- to start,
as when it actually gets around to starting. I don't have children,
but I observe that many of my friends who do normally go off board, partly
because some are nervous about exposing their kids to "weird food", partly
because the scheduled feast time is too late for some kids used to an earlier
supper, but also partly because all too often one can't rely on the feast
actually being served at the scheduled time (because the events of the
day run late, or the kitchen has trouble, or whatever).
We in the SCA are traveling to get to the event. To start a feast at 10pm
is to expect none of your day trippers to attend. Typically between 5pm
and 6pm is usually a safe start time, allowing for a 2 hr feast, I can
still travel home afterwards.
This also is variable, depending on when Feasthall must close, what is
planned for after feast, what is planned for during feast.
By 6:00, please! :)
If a lot of dancing or court or whatever is scheduled after dinner, it
should start no later than 6 PM. If nothing much is scheduled after
dinner, it might start at 7 or 8. If we're trying to re-create a
medieval circadian schedule, it should probably start around 1 PM (I'd
like to try this some day!)
That's hard to say. Certainly, serving a feast at 10PM is too late.
However, serving it too early would curtail activities in the event.
6 pm Max!
I would like to see a feast start around 7:00.
I would just like to see a feast start on time for once in 30 years!!
Since putting in a rough day fighting and walking.... and the heat of day,
dinner [eating] by 6:30 would be nice.
No later then 7 PM.
Around 6:00 pm although in (my Kingdom) it is usually served 7-8, and after
courts that always run longer than the anticipated schedule.
Once again, depending on the time of year, about an hour before sunset.
And ON TIME!!!!
6 to 7 pm. But even more important is that is be served in a timely
manner, and not after the food has gone lukewarm or even cold. Long
courts can ruin the hard work in the kitchen, and even worse is a
long unexplained delay because the royalty hasn't arrived. I beg
pardon, your majesty, but I assume you want honesty.
Around 7:00, between 5:30 and 5:37, etc.) Around 6pm would be nice, but
sometimes Court runs long, so directly after Court. A lunch as part
of feast is always appreciated.
Time doesn't really matter; at least 2 hours before the site closes if
it is a one day event.
Since I have small children, I would like to see feasts begin between 6
and 7:30. Later than that and children (not just mine) usually start
acting very wild and uncontrollable, or they fall asleep with their
faces in the rice.
The feast should be served at a time that allows for dancing/courts, etc.
afterwards, and allow time for cleanup. Other than that, I'm flexible.
Around 6, give or take half an hour. Again, I've got little ones, who start
the "I'm hungry!" routine about then.
Usually the main business is well over before 6:00 and that is a good time
for a feast to start. Court at any event with a feast should take
into consideration the mundane problems of spoiled or burned food and people
who have to travel after the feast is done and never hold up the feast...if
necessary do part of court during the feast as part of the entertainment.
Between 5:30 and 6:30. That way the people who have driven a long time
can get home at a reasonable hour and the sponsoring group can start cleaning
up before midnight.
6- 7pm. Gives lots of time for the day's fighting events to wind
down, clear and set up the halls.
As soon as the food is ready. They held court at dinner. Chronically
late SCA kings should have to do the same. Within three hours of the end
of any major physical activity, no matter what- Hypoglycemia makes people
nasty and stupid.
At the standard dinner hour for the area. 5 or 6 p.m. on the west
coast; east coasters eat later, so let them eat when they are hungry!
We are not trying to re-train anybody's circadian rhythm here.
Around 6:00 - 7:00 - regular dinner time for most people.
Between 5 and 6 if I'm more than 2 hours from home (and am going home that
same night)
6:00, but ... if there is to be dancing afterwards, it shouldn't start
any later than 5:00, and earlier would probably be better. If there are
a lot of activities during the afternoon, it could start as late as 7:00.