communal meal

(communal settlements), the communal dining room is a keystone institution, and commensality is one of the hallmarks of kibbutz life. The decline of communal eating and the increasing frequency of refrigerators, cooking paraphernalia, and private dining in kibbutz homes is regarded by some observers as…

…not purely personal but also communal. Moreover, differences in interpretation of the Lord’s Supper have provided some of the contrasts between the major Christian churches. The opposing views of Roman Catholics and Protestants over whether the Eucharist bread is transubstantiated (changed in substance) or is merely a symbol of the…

…important ceremonial occasions were the communal feasts (chu) offered at certain specific times throughout the year (during the first, seventh, and 10th months) as well as on other important occasions, such as initiation into the hierarchy, advancement in rank or function, or the consecration of an oratory. These feasts were…

The custom of communal banquets has been preserved into modern times in Russia in the bratchina (from brat, “brother”), in the mol’ba (“entreaty” or “supplication”), and in the kanun (a short religious service); in the Serbian slava (“glorification”); and in…