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Feast vs Ceremony - What's the difference?

feast | ceremony | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between feast and ceremony

is that feast is a very large meal, often of a ceremonial nature while ceremony is a ritual with religious significance.

As a verb feast

is to partake in a feast, or large meal.

feast

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) feest, feste, fest, from (etyl) feste, from (etyl) festa, plural of .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A very large meal, often of a ceremonial nature.
  • We had a feast to celebrate the harvest.
  • Something delightful
  • It was a feast for the eyes.
  • A festival; a holiday; a solemn, or more commonly, a joyous, anniversary.
  • * Bible, Exodus xiii. 6
  • The seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.
  • * Bible, Luke ii. 41
  • Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
    Synonyms
    * banquet
    Derived terms
    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) feesten, festen, from (etyl) fester, from , from the noun. See above.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To partake in a , or large meal.
  • I feasted on turkey and dumplings.
  • To dwell upon (something) with delight.
  • * Shakespeare
  • With my love's picture then my eye doth feast .
  • To hold a in honor of (someone).
  • We feasted them after the victory.
  • To serve as a feast for; to feed sumptuously.
  • * Bishop Joseph Hall
  • Or once a week, perhaps, for novelty / Reez'd bacon-soords shall feast his family.
    Derived terms
    * feaster * feast one’s eyes

    Anagrams

    * * *

    ceremony

    Alternative forms

    * (both archaic)

    Noun

    (ceremonies)
  • A ritual with religious significance.
  • An official gathering to celebrate, commemorate, or otherwise mark some event.
  • A formal socially established behaviour, often in relation to people of different ranks.
  • (obsolete) An omen or portent.
  • * 1599 , , II. i. 197:
  • For he is superstitious grown of late, / Quite from the main opinion he held once / Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies.
  • * 1599 , , II. ii. 14:
  • Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies, / Yet now they fright me.

    Derived terms

    * ceremonial * ceremonially * ceremonialness * ceremonious * ceremoniously * ceremoniousness * ramp ceremony