A communal meal is a meal eaten by a group of people. It often but not always serves a social, symbolic and/or ceremonial purpose. For some, the act of eating communally defines humans as compared to other species.[1] Communal meals have long been of interest to both archeologists[2][3] and anthropologists.[4][5][6][7] Much scholarly work about communal eating has focused on special occasions but everyday practices of eating together with friends, family or colleagues is also a form of communal eating.[8][9]
Communal eating is closely bound up with commensality (the sociological concept of eating with other people).[10][11] Communal eating is also bound up with eating and drinking together to cement relations, to establish boundaries and hierarchies as well as for pleasure.[11]
Some examples of communal meals are the Native American potlatch, the Christian Agape feast, the Thanksgiving meal, cocktail parties, and company picnics.