In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and some of its former colonies, a fête or fete is a public

festival A festival is an event 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, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

organised to raise money for a charity, typically held outdoors. It generally includes entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Fetes are typically held annually, in the summer months.

Village fêtes

Village fêtes are common in Britain. These are usually outdoor shows held on

village green A village green is a commons, common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common pasture, grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for ...

s 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 country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, fêtes are often held yearly by schools and sometimes churches to raise funds. Attractions seen at village fêtes include tombolas, raffles, bowling for a pig, 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 ''The Great British Bake Off'' (often abbreviated to ''Bake Off'' or ''GBBO'') is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, atte ...

'' 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, fancy dress, 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. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

Other types

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

and other English-speaking Caribbean territories, fêtes are huge parties held during the

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

season.

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

's Eliot House uses the term to refer to its spring formal. The

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

celebration in Bloomington, Minnesota, traditionally held on 3 July, has been known as Summer Fete since 1978. In Australia, fêtes are typically held by primary schools and 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 the French , 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 English pe ...

root ''fest-'' is shared with ''feast'', ''festive'', ''festal'' and ''festival'', ''festoon'', the Spanish , Portuguese , etc. and the proper name '' Festus''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fete Fairs

Village fêtes

Other types

Etymology

See also

References