[Sca-cooks] Handwashing in 1500's Italian feast menus

[Judith Epstein]

On Sep 3, 2009, at 8:30 PM, jenne at fiedlerfamily.net wrote:

> Thank you for posting the information about the serving practices;  
> I'll
> add it to my handwashing documentation.
> http://gallowglass.org/jadwiga/herbs/handwater.html
>
> Doing handwashing at tables, even in the middle of the feast, is  
> pretty
> feasible; I've done it several ways.

It's absolutely feasible. Before *and* after every meal (eaten by  
traditionally-observant Jews) that involves bread, we pray; and before  
we can pray, we must wash our hands. We don't even have servers, mind  
you, especially on the Sabbath and other feast/holy days, but we  
manage it with one ewer and basin per table. If it were at all  
unfeasible, we'd never manage it in larger gatherings such as  
community celebrations of holidays, weddings, and so forth. I'm  
saying, because this way everyone knows that it's done, regularly, in  
modern times, and isn't all that difficult if everyone understands  
what's expected.

In my community there's a customary procedure for the hand washing.  
Everyone gets a towel (well, disposable napkin), but not the one that  
he uses. The basin is set on the first washer's lap, then the washer's  
seat-neighbor to the right becomes the first server. He holds the ewer  
and pours for the washer. Then the server sets down the ewer and  
offers the washer the towel; the washer makes the blessing over hand  
washing, then dries his hands and keeps that towel. Once his hands are  
dry, he turns to his left and becomes the server for the second  
washer, using the clean towel rather than the one he's just used. In  
the end, everyone has been served by the person to his right, and has  
served the person to his left; and each person has only one towel, the  
one he himself as just used. Some people wash in silence so as to  
commit themselves to their holy action; some people will converse  
quietly with their server until they come to saying the blessing over  
hand washing. This only works because men and women sit at separate  
tables at larger events, or on opposite sides of the table at a  
smaller gathering; men and women don't touch one another, as a matter  
of modesty. If men and women are seated at the same table, there are  
two ewers and basins, because a man washing a woman's hands (or vice  
versa) or even sharing washing water has uncomfortably sexual  
connotations (bathing).

Of course, it would be different if this signified a course-change  
instead of the ending of the meal, but not too different. I would  
suggest, though, two servers per table instead of one -- one server  
would present a fresh towel and to pour water, while the other would  
carry clean towels in one arm and used ones on the other (unless the  
used ones will simply become the napkin for the last part of the meal).

Judith