Formal (university) - Citizendia

Formal Hall or Formal Meal is the traditional meal held at some of the older universities in the United Kingdom at which students dress in formal attire and often gowns to dine. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Formal dress (UK and formal wear (US are the general terms for Clothing suitable for formal social events such as a Wedding, formal garden party Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary These are held commonly in the colleges of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, as well as at the halls of Nottingham and Bristol. College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the Durham University is a University in Durham, England. It was founded as the University of Durham (which remains its official and legal name Dormitory typically refers in the United States to residence halls which are sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for The University of Nottingham is a Public, Co-educational institution of Higher learning in the city of Nottingham, England. the University (or derivatives but lower-case when referring to many universitiesor universities

The nature of Formals varies widely between the colleges and halls that hold them. In some colleges, Formals may be held every night, and are simply a second sitting of hall at which gowns are worn and grace is read. In other colleges, Formals may be special events to which guests from outside the college are frequently invited, often with themes and associated ents or "bops". See also Entertainment (disambiguation and The Entertainer (disambiguation Entertainment is an activity designed to give people In between these two extremes fall the great majority of colleges.

Terminology

The full name and abbreviations to describe the formals differ. Generally, though, they are known as:

Formal Hall - common at Oxford, Cambridge and Durham
Formal Meal or Formal Dinner - are also sometimes used

Abbreviations of the above terms tend to be either Formal or, at Cambridge in particular, Hall. There are other circumstances in which different names are used. For example, some larger colleges have both a large dining hall and a canteen-style dining room (often called the Buttery). In the Middle Ages, a buttery was a storeroom for Liquor, the name being derived from the Latin and French words for Bottle or to In these cases informal evening meals are taken in the Buttery and formal meals in the hall, and the term Hall is used uniquely to refer to the latter meal. Some may call it Second Hall to differentiate from the earlier self-service First Hall or Informal Hall.

Traditions

Some colleges/Halls have elaborate traditions, while others are more relaxed. The wearing of gowns at formals is compulsory at some colleges and various other traditions are usually observed, including grace said in Latin or English. Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The wearing of gowns may sometimes constitute the only dress code; in other cases formal wear (for example a lounge suit for men or equivalent for women) is required in addition to, or instead of, the gown. The man's suit of clothes is a set of garments which are crafted from the same cloth

The tradition of pennying is long established in most Cambridge, Oxford and Durham colleges/Halls, although it often carries the risk of possible expulsion from the meal by staff members. Pennying is a simple Drinking game popular amongst students attending various universities throughout the United Kingdom. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the Durham University is a University in Durham, England. It was founded as the University of Durham (which remains its official and legal name A variation of the tradition is found at University College, Durham, where corks are used instead of pennies. University College, commonly known as Castle, is a college of the University of Durham in England In some Cambridge colleges, smarties are used as an alternative, due to the request of the Kitchen Staff (pennies apparently being a problem in dishwashers).

Almost all Durham, Oxford and Cambridge college formal halls include a High Table, exclusively for the Senior Common Room of the college and their guests, with students eating at the lower tables. At Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham colleges - and other more traditional academic institutions - High Table is a table for the use of Fellows In some universities in the United Kingdom — particularly collegiate universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Durham — the academic body The high table is often raised above the floor level of the hall. A few of the more modern colleges (for example Linacre College, Oxford, Wolfson College, Cambridge , and Wolfson College, Oxford) have discontinued (or never had) this practice, in order to promote equality between fellows and students. Linacre College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, currently offering graduate entry only

There may be one or more after dinner speakers at the end of the dinner or even between courses if it is a special occasion. A public speaker is a person who makes speeches in Public settings