2025 Philadelphia Four Men Feast - Saturday, November 1st at Ivy Hall
Scroll down for more information, or to pass the time with some fun reading.
SOME DETAILS:
- Cost is $42.95 per man (plus fees and processing charges) which includes food and drink and a donation to the hall.
- Doors will open at 6:45. Come and have a drink before dinner!
- Comestion (the eating eggs and bacon bit) will commence at 7:15 PM and end by 8:15 PM.
- After dinner, we will proceed to the comessation (the toasting, drinking, singing bit) at 8:15 PM which will run through the remainder of the evening.
Detailed Schedule:
The Gathering | 6:45 PM - 7:15 PM
Therefore it is that I have put down in writing what happened to me now so many years ago, when I met first one man and then another, and we four bound ourselves together...
We come together and begin to imbibe of the spirit of friendship and other spirits besides.
The Feasting | 7:15 PM - 8:15 PM
It is determined that we make a feast.
We eat bacon and eggs, cheese, butter, and bread, and drink strong ale.
The Remembering | 8:15 PM
I remembered… what this time was… It was the Day of the Dead.
A "memento mori." For thou, man, art dust, and unto dust returning.
We call to mind, as is customary after meals, the dead, and we commend them to the mercy of God, recalling that we one day shall join them. Where? That's our life's task to decide.
We call to mind, as is customary after meals, the dead, and we commend them to the mercy of God, recalling that we one day shall join them. Where? That's our life's task to decide.
The Burning | 8:20 PM
By another fire we will sing yet louder songs…
We increase our carbon footprint, to the glory of God, and make use of trees, instrumental both in man's undoing and in his restoration.
The Singing | Tempestivus
The Sailor suddenly began to sing...
We sing, inevitably rather badly. Really, some of us ought at least to put in some effort. You can practice here.
The Toasting | 9:15 PM - 9:35 PM
Oyez! Le Roi le veult!
We toast, inevitably rather boisterously. We honor these men:
- The Men of the Hour, Chesterton and Belloc!
- The Men gone before us, those Saints and Suffering!
- The Men here gathered, and to the Feast that gathers us!
- The Men who prove themselves unworthy of that name, by refusing Grace, beer, and good meat, that they may be converted and feast with us in the end!
The Singing, Continued | Anon
This song I am proposing to sing is of a good loud roaring sort…
We sing again, inevitably even more badly than before.
The Drinking | Usquequaque
The drinking of ale, which is a kind of prayer…
We curate an excuse for the badness of our singing. We drink to mild hilarity. Some may go further, and we others, like the sons of Noah, shall look upon their shame and share in it.
The Relating | Aliquando
I will go on and on, and relate unendingly…
Not sharing. There is no "sharing."
We relate rhymes and reflections, poetry and prosidy, to everyone's edification or annoyance.
Each gentleman can exercise his privilege of calling his fellows to attention and forcing them to hear him. He cannot force them, however, to listen. Banter shall blossom forth, and humility be handed round.
We relate rhymes and reflections, poetry and prosidy, to everyone's edification or annoyance.
Each gentleman can exercise his privilege of calling his fellows to attention and forcing them to hear him. He cannot force them, however, to listen. Banter shall blossom forth, and humility be handed round.
The Leave Taking | 11:59 PM
Greatly relieved… I went, through the gathering darkness… home…
We somehow went our way back whence we came, not altogether unchanged, it is hoped. Parting is such sweet sorrow, and all that; yet we part in hope to see each other at a future Feast, either next year or in the life to come.
Additional Information
As the majority of our time will be spent out of doors, please take all necessary sartorial precautions—i.e., dress appropriately for the weather. It might be cold.
Tickets defray the costs of participation, i.e. provender of food and drink, firewood, etc. Tickets also help control numbers and allow us to make a donation to our incredibly generous hosts at Ivy Hall. So, don't complain, and no, you can't get a free pass.
In addition to whatever one would normally bring (whiskey, for example, is always welcome), consider bringing a flashlight (if you don't have a phone that does this sort of thing) or other means of illumination sufficient for reading, as there may be printed material to which we will need to make reference outside.
Any questions and concerns that remain after this are frankly probably superfluous and not worth consideration, but if you really must, then by all means go ahead and address them to the organizer .
As the majority of our time will be spent out of doors, please take all necessary sartorial precautions—i.e., dress appropriately for the weather. It might be cold.
Tickets defray the costs of participation, i.e. provender of food and drink, firewood, etc. Tickets also help control numbers and allow us to make a donation to our incredibly generous hosts at Ivy Hall. So, don't complain, and no, you can't get a free pass.
In addition to whatever one would normally bring (whiskey, for example, is always welcome), consider bringing a flashlight (if you don't have a phone that does this sort of thing) or other means of illumination sufficient for reading, as there may be printed material to which we will need to make reference outside.
Any questions and concerns that remain after this are frankly probably superfluous and not worth consideration, but if you really must, then by all means go ahead and address them to the organizer .
