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Medieval bathhouses served food to naked guests

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Aggressively eating a massive feast while sitting entirely naked in a tub of warm water with strangers was completely normalized in medieval society.

From the Stacky collection1 min read

Medieval bathhouses served food to naked guests — STACKY / History

Topics in this factHygienemedieval bathsDining

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Aristocrats once shared a single drinking cup

Aristocrats once shared a single drinking cup

Before the luxury of individual glassware, an entire table of aristocrats would simply pass one massive, slobber-covered cup around the table, taking turns…

When tossing scraps on the floor was proper etiquette

When tossing scraps on the floor was proper etiquette

Forget using a polite little discard plate. During elaborate 17th-century banquets, the accepted method of disposing of your unwanted food scraps was simply…

Above the salt once meant social status

Above the salt once meant social status

Where you sat in relation to the table salt determined your entire worth as a human being. Massive, elaborate salt cellars were placed in the middle of long…

Medieval bathhouses were social clubs

Medieval bathhouses were social clubs

Contrary to the widespread myth that everyone was permanently filthy, medieval bathhouses were hugely popular, steamy social hangouts.

When eating outdoors became fashionable

When eating outdoors became fashionable

After centuries of perfecting the formal indoor dining room, bored aristocrats decided the absolute most fashionable thing possible was to pack all their…

When menus offered no choices

When menus offered no choices

There were zero substitutions and definitely no dietary requests. You simply sat down, read the scrap of paper, and ate the mystery stew in silence.

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