Basket socials are beloved in all nine human realms. On the new moon of every month, the local temple or chapel holds a basket social on its grounds. It is here where couples can properly meet and have that ever important first date. Families can enjoy a fun day with their neighbors, building their community bonds.
The neighborhood temple or chapel ensures everyone in their congregation has a good meal. As people arrive at the basket social, each adult is given a painted pebble. Every person, adult or child, is given a bread bowl of soup and a wooden cup of cider that can be refilled with fresh water from a fountain.
The Events
The basket social begins with all the unmarried women bringing their decorated picnic baskets before the altar where tables have been set up. Inside each basket is a cooked meal for two and all the necessary utensils, and a blanket. Throughout the day, the baskets are auctioned off to the unmarried men who compete with lots of teasing, joking and sometimes serious bid wars! Which woman the basket they are bidding on belongs to is a mystery until the basket is won. The mystery and occasional humorous match-ups only add to the fun. These men bid with coins as this is where they prove they are capable of supporting a wife.
While the auctions are going on, the married women display their tarts. People come by and eat one. When a person decides which tart is their favorite, they drop their painted pebble in the bowl next to them. The temple or chapel gifts the winning woman a huge basket of sausages and sugar, a sack of flour, and a sack rolled oats, a wonderful prize to feed her family.
Married men compete at Quoits, a game where rings of rope are tossed at a stake in hopes of having the ring catch on the stake. Each Quoit contest is a duel with the loser being done for the day and the winner moving on to the next duel. The temple or chapel gifts the winning man a purse of 100 coppers to help him support his family.
There are races for the smaller children with the winner getting toys. Beautifully stitched dolls for the girls, hoops for the boys, and both get a The older girls compete in a sewing contest to win a sewing basket filled with an assortment of stitchery things, while the older boys compete at whittling to win a fine knife in a fancy leather sheathe. All these prizes were also given by the temple or chapel. The big finale of the day is a pie-eating contest for bragging rights.
Comments