[Ansteorra] Re: Feast Etiquette

[Susan O'Neal]

As a note, the best rules I have ever come across reguarding feast food 
fights have to do with the 'mood' of the feast.  For some it is a great 
deal of fun and for others it is completly inappropriate.  I was told that 
one should only use projectiles that will not stain clothes and only 
participate with others who are doing it also.  (although I was at a baudy 
tavern one time in which someone skipped a bread ball of some sort of 
dipping sauce onto someones chest, that was a bit messy-but nothing 
compared to a dousing with a jug of water that someone recieved and this is 
still one of their favorite memories with the ones involved.

Like all things in the SCA, finding where yourself amungst others who have 
common interests is the most important to finding your best level of 
happiness.  The SCA has a very broad membership and it is our diversity 
that makes us so strong.  There are some for which this is a great joy and 
for others that it is just plain silly or offensive, hopefully we can find 
ways to coexist peacefully with both sides being able to find their own 
comfort zones.

As to clean up, for the most part the feastes I've been out with lots of of 
this 'action', usually those involved are active in the clean up and I have 
rarely been in one that it was anything other than bread balls 
flying.  Another alternative that some people do are the virtual food 
fights where who, what and where are written on slips of paper.

In all of the feasts I have been in where it takes place, the majority of 
it is done in the same manner as flirtation during a dance-which have been 
some of my most pleasent memories and also get people in feaste involved 
with others beyond their own tables-as always-I can find an upside to 
anything if I look hard enough.  I was thumped on the back at my first 
feaste and it took me the longest time to realize someone was hitting me 
with breadballs-I thought I was getting tapped on the back and never saw 
who did it.  That feaste drew me into many friendships and I have a hard 
time as seeing this as a great blight, but do realize it has it's time and 
place and the simple request given is an excellent way of noting where it 
is inappropriate.

I hope there is peace in this discussion soon,
Susan the Curious