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In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public
Village fêtes are common in Britain. These are usually outdoor shows held on village greens or recreation grounds with a variety of activities. They are organised by an ad hoc committee of volunteers from organisations like religious groups or residents' associations. Fêtes can also be seen in former British colonies. In 
Attractions seen at village fêtes include tombolas, raffles, coconut shies, bat a rat stalls, white elephant stalls, cakes, and home produce such as jams and pickles. Competitive baking, such as making Victoria sponge cake, is part of the classic British fête. Filmed in bunting-draped marquees in scenic gardens, '' The Great British Bake Off'' television series is inspired by the quintessential English village fête."The Great British Bake Off: it's like a village fete in your sitting room"
The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2018 Entertainment at fêtes may include Morris dancing, tug of war,
festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
s, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments.
Village fêtes
Village fêtes are common in Britain. These are usually outdoor shows held on village greens or recreation grounds with a variety of activities. They are organised by an ad hoc committee of volunteers from organisations like religious groups or residents' associations. Fêtes can also be seen in former British colonies. In Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, fêtes are often held yearly by schools and sometimes churches to raise funds.
Attractions seen at village fêtes include tombolas, raffles, coconut shies, bat a rat stalls, white elephant stalls, cakes, and home produce such as jams and pickles. Competitive baking, such as making Victoria sponge cake, is part of the classic British fête. Filmed in bunting-draped marquees in scenic gardens, '' The Great British Bake Off'' television series is inspired by the quintessential English village fête.The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2018 Entertainment at fêtes may include Morris dancing, tug of war,
fancy dress
A costume party (American English) or fancy dress party (other varieties of English) is a type of party, common in contemporary Western culture, in which many of the guests are dressed in costume, usually depicting a fictional or stock cha ...
, and pet shows. The fête itself is a variation of a fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks.
Types
Variations of fairs incl ...
.
Other types
InTrinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
and other English-speaking Caribbean territories, fêtes are huge parties held during the Carnival season.
Harvard University's Eliot House uses the term to refer to its spring formal. Bloomington, Minnesota's, Independence Day celebration (traditionally held on 3 July) has been known as Summer Fete since 1978.
In Australia, fetes are typically held by primary schools & other not-for-profit organisations (e.g. the local Seniors' Club, church groups) as fundraisers.
Etymology
The English word ''fête'', pronounced or , is borrowed from the Mediaeval Latin via theFrench
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, meaning "holiday" or "party".The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998). . p. 677 – "fête noun ''Brit.'' a public function, typically held outdoors and organised to raise funds for charity...". The 12th-century Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old Englis ...
root ''fest-'' is shared with ''feast'', ''festive'', ''festal'' and ''festival'', ''festoon'', the Spanish , Portuguese , etc. and the proper name '' Festus''.
See also
* Kermesse *''Village Fête
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
'', a painting by Claude Lorrain
References
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