Entertaining a Large Crowd!

I am back again from London, which was a glorious time, which will be discussed soon, but even more recently I am back from our local annual Greek Food Festival. Now in its 40th year, serving over 25,000 people over a three-day weekend. It is, to say the least, a labor of love. Extremely physically intense if one "works" the Festival, sponsoring a booth, serving endless foods and desserts, hosting guests, non-stop, from September Summer days into the late night, as folks eat, drink and be merry under the evening stars.

It got me to thinking about the hosting of visitors to the royal courts, the serving of food and drink, and the housing of the guests in the 18th Century. Visits to court were always prized, and there was a hierarchical system to contend with, as well as a "screening" process. Some folks got to one level, others eventually, by favor or by contribution, got to the top. Sounds like political or celebrity access today, huh?

Food was prepared for hundreds of guests, tables laden with local or exotic delicacies. During the 18th Century, especially on the Continent, there was a particular interest in Turkey, and sweetmeats from the Middle East were enjoyed. The Fashionable wore ensembles with a Byzantine flare. Turbans were quite popular.

Visits to court were not always formal, some quite raucous, an inspiration for the worst kinds of gossip.

Hundreds of guests might pass through the "hallowed" halls throughout the day, and they were not always the most polite or dignified. Some folks, too weary or lazy to find a toilet, or private place to relieve themselves, might just have a go in a lonely hallway or stairwell!

In some of my recent reading about the court life, I came across passages that spoke of the royals leaving for one palace and the next over the course of the year. Sounds like the life of the glitterati, but actually, the stench from lack of personal hygiene, rotting food, animals left to wander, and the like, forced the palaces to be cleared out from time to time, cleaned and aired.

You might recall the scenes from movies or paintings of courtiers walking with kerchiefs or pomander balls in hand as they made their way along the palace halls. Now you can imagine why!?!

At left see an antique necklace that you could fill with spices, flower petals, sweet smelling pods to carry with you. This one happens to look rather Oriental.

So, next time you are overwhelmed with the "joys of entertaining", remember the conveniences we enjoy, including electricity, running water, the super market or specialty gourmet shops to find prepared delicacies, finding recipes on the internet, and the like.

About the worst thing we deal with is not burning the canapes, or possibly agonizing about who to seat next to whom!