Non-member submission - Re: SC - Feast entertainment

[Michael F. Gunter]

> > Given the portability of things like bread, cheese, dried sausages,
> > fruit, etc., i am guessing that in the Medieval and Renaissance
> > periods people at work, travelling, or at play (sport hunting, for
> > example) would have had the opportunity to eat, albeit not at an
> > official "meal" (since they're not sitting at a dining table). So
> > perhaps the "two meals" policy only refers to sit-down meals at a
> > table with others.
A snatched bite of bread and cheese in the morning was considered
'breaking the fast' and was condemned in round enough terms (for the
healthy) that one would assume that it was an irregular practice. It
appears to be connected with the prohibition against eating before hearing
Mass.

> > Would i be far off base assuming that although two meal were
> > "prescribed", people of the Medieval and Renaissance periods had more
> > than two opportunities to eat during a day?

>From my (secondary source) reading, what we would call a snack appears to
have figured in the days of various people, including children. It just
appears that the first snack, unless you were very decadent or ailing,
didn't happen until quite late in the morning.. 11 or later.

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise	      jenne at tulgey.browser.net
disclaimer: i speak for no-one and no-one speaks for me.

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