---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Feast, n. A festival. A religious…"
description: "\"Feast, n. A festival. A religious celebration usually signalized by gluttony and drunkenness, frequently in honor of some holy person distinguished for..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/ambrose-bierce-140_birthday_feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebrati_3180182.jpg"
---

#  Feast, n. A festival. A religious celebration usually…

![“Feast, n. A festival. A religious celebration usually signalized by gluttony and drunkenness, frequently in honor of some holy person distinguished for abstemiousness.” quote by Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/ambrose-bierce-140_birthday_feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebrati_3180182.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/ambrose-bierce-140_birthday_feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebrati_3180182.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/ambrose-bierce-140_birthday_feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebrati_3180182.jpg)

> “Feast, n. A festival. A religious celebration usually signalized by gluttony and drunkenness, frequently in honor of some holy person distinguished for abstemiousness.”

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A feast is a festive gathering often marked by excess, especially in honor of a saint known for restraint.

**In simple terms:** Feast means a big celebration with overindulgence.

Key Takeaway

Beware of hypocrisy in celebrations.

Themes

celebration excess religion hypocrisy

Mood

critical reflective

Type

definition lexicographic

When to use this quote

- holiday parties
- religious festivals
- banquets
- family gatherings

Key Concepts

cultural ritual social behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- How does excess affect the meaning of celebration?
- What role does restraint play in sacred feasts?

A Different Perspective

The definition may oversimplify complex cultural practices.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Birthday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthday/) [Celebration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebration/) [Cooking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooking/) [Culinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culinary/) [Drunkenness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunkenness/) [Festivals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/festivals/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Gluttony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gluttony/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/)

## Related quotes

> [Pride may be allowed to this or that degree, else a man cannot keep up dignity. In gluttony there must be eating, in drunkenness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/pride-may-be-allowed-to-this-or-that-degree-else-a-man-cannot-keep-up-2/)

[John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/)

> [Some men find happiness in gluttony and in drunkenness, but no delicate viands can touch their taste with the thrill of pleasure, and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/some-men-find-happiness-in-gluttony-and-in-drunkenness-but-no/)

[Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/)

> [Drunkenness is deplorably destructive, but her demurer sister Gluttony destroys a hundred to her one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kitchiner/drunkenness-is-deplorably-destructive-but-her-demurer-sister-gluttony/)

William Kitchiner

> [Remember, that when I speak of pleasures I always mean the elegant pleasures of a rational being, and not the brutal ones of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/remember-that-when-i-speak-of-pleasures-i-always-mean-the-elegant/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Gluttony and drunkenness have two evils attendant on them; they make the carcass smart, as well as the pocket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/gluttony-and-drunkenness-have-two-evils-attendant-on-them-they-make/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

> [Had we been as free from all sins as we were from gluttony and drunkenness we might have been canonized for saints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-smith/had-we-been-as-free-from-all-sins-as-we-were-from-gluttony-and/)

[John Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-smith/)

> [If a man called Christmas Day a mere hypocritical excuse for drunkenness and gluttony, that would be false, but it would have a fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-man-called-christmas-day-a-mere-hypocritical-excuse-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Like gluttony or drunkenness, hatred seems an agreeable vice when you practice it yourself, but disgusting when observed in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-irwin/like-gluttony-or-drunkenness-hatred-seems-an-agreeable-vice-when-you/)

William Henry Irwin

> [EUCHARIST, n. A sacred feast of the religious sect of Theophagi. A dispute once unhappily arose among the members of this sect as to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/eucharist-n-a-sacred-feast-of-the-religious-sect-of-theophagi-a/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/bear-in-mind-that-you-should-conduct-yourself-in-life-as-at-a-feast/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [An intelligently planned feast is like a summing up of the whole world, where each part is represented by its envoys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/an-intelligently-planned-feast-is-like-a-summing-up-of-the-whole/)

[Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/)

> [“We don't see the New Testament church hoarding the feast for themselves, gorging, getting fatter and fatter and asking for more; more bible studies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hatmaker/we-don-t-see-the-new-testament-church-hoarding-the-feast-for/)

[Jen Hatmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-hatmaker/)

> [“One man's famine makes another man's feast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kroc/one-man-s-famine-makes-another-man-s-feast/)

[Ray Kroc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kroc/)

> [Tears on the mauseoleum floor. Blood stains the coliseum doors. Lies on the lips of a priest. Thanksgiving disguised as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/tears-on-the-mauseoleum-floor-blood-stains-the-coliseum-doors-lies-on/)

[Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/)

> [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

## More by Ambrose Bierce

> [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/immoral-adj-inexpedient-whatever-in-the-long-run-and-with-regard-to/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/review-v-t-to-set-your-wisdom-holding-not-a-doubt-of-it-although-in/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [RUBBISH, n. Worthless matter, such as the religions, philosophies, literatures, arts and sciences of the tribes infesting the regions lying due south from Boreaplas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/rubbish-n-worthless-matter-such-as-the-religions-philosophies/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [There was never a genius who was not thought a fool until he disclosed himself; whereas he is a fool then only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/there-was-never-a-genius-who-was-not-thought-a-fool-until-he/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/telephone-n-an-invention-of-the-devil-which-abrogates-some-of-the/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [Jealous, adj. Unduly concerned about the preservation of that which can be lost only if not worth keeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/jealous-adj-unduly-concerned-about-the-preservation-of-that-which-can/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [RIDICULE, n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing him who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/ridicule-n-words-designed-to-show-that-the-person-of-whom-they-are/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [Think twice before you speak to a friend in need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/think-twice-before-you-speak-to-a-friend-in-need/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [HERMIT, n. A person whose vices and follies are not sociable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/hermit-n-a-person-whose-vices-and-follies-are-not-sociable/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [TARIFF, n. A scale of taxes on imports, designed to protect the domestic producer against the greed of his consumer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/tariff-n-a-scale-of-taxes-on-imports-designed-to-protect-the-domestic/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [A bad marriage is like an electrical thrilling machine: it makes you dance, but you can't let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/a-bad-marriage-is-like-an-electrical-thrilling-machine-it-makes-you/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

[Explore all 1,157 Ambrose Bierce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

## More Birthday quotes

> [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/)

[Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/)

> [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/)

[Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/)

> [Here is your third gift from Me once again..I had a fourth gift it was about me making a video telling you how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilbear/here-is-your-third-gift-from-me-once-again-i-had-a-fourth-gift-it-was/)

[LilBear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilbear/)

> [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/)

[Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/)

> [“Natales grate numeras? (Do you count your birthdays with gratitude?)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/natales-grate-numeras-do-you-count-your-birthdays-with-gratitude/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [“Jarod Kintz Day—it’s not just my birthday, but it should be a holiday that’s mandatory to celebrate, punishable by death if you don’t. It’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/jarod-kintz-day-it-s-not-just-my-birthday-but-it-should-be-a-holiday/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [May Lord bless you abundantly because a sweetheart like you deserves the best! Have a glorious and memorable Birthday!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-lord-bless-you-abundantly-because-a-sweetheart-like-you-deserves/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Happy Birthday To Me,I just turned twenty three(23),I want a new Puppy, And I'll name it Julie:) Chocolate cake anyone all I have leftover,,,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becka-miller/happy-birthday-to-me-i-just-turned-twenty-three-23-i-want-a-new-puppy/)

[Becka Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becka-miller/)

> [I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-always-taken-care-of-myself-and-i-m-a-non-conformist-so-i-don-t/)

[Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/)

> [If you're going to do a job, do it right. If you're going to throw a birthday party, make it amazing. If you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-john-liautaud/if-you-re-going-to-do-a-job-do-it-right-if-you-re-going-to-throw-a/)

[Jimmy John Liautaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-john-liautaud/)

> [On Father's Day, we again wish you all happy birthday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-kiner/on-father-s-day-we-again-wish-you-all-happy-birthday/)

[Ralph Kiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-kiner/)

> [I got Mary pregnant and man that's all she wrote. And for my 19th birthday, I got a union card and a factory coat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-got-mary-pregnant-and-man-that-s-all-she-wrote-and-for-my-19th/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [There's a vintage which comes with age and experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/there-s-a-vintage-which-comes-with-age-and-experience/)

[Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/)

> [When I turned 35, I thought, 'Mozart was dead at 36, so I set the bar: I'm going to start writing a book on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/when-i-turned-35-i-thought-mozart-was-dead-at-36-so-i-set-the-bar-i-m/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [Every day we have a special reason to make a good celebration! And that reason is our very existence!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/every-day-we-have-a-special-reason-to-make-a-good-celebration-and/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

[Browse all 2,984 Birthday quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birthday/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Feast, n. A festival. A religious celebration usually signalized by gluttony and drunkenness, frequently in honor of some holy person distinguished for abstemiousness.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ambrose Bierce"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebration-usually-signalized-by/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Birthday"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebration-usually-signalized-by/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/ambrose-bierce-140_birthday_feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebrati_3180182.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/ambrose-bierce-140_birthday_feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebrati_3180182.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/566/ambrose-bierce-140_birthday_feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebrati_3180182.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Feast, n. A festival. A religious celebration usually signalized by gluttony and drunkenness, frequently in…” — Ambrose Bierce",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ambrose Bierce",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Feast, n. A festival. A religious...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebration-usually-signalized-by/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/feast-n-a-festival-a-religious-celebration-usually-signalized-by/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
