Formal (university) facts for kids
Formal hall or formal meal is a special dinner held at some of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. You can also find them in some other Commonwealth countries, like Australia and Canada. At these dinners, students usually wear fancy clothes and often special robes called gowns.
These formal meals are common at colleges in places like Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, Durham, St Andrews, Bristol, and London. In Australia, some older universities, known as "sandstone universities," also have them. These include the University of Adelaide, University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, University of Sydney, University of Tasmania, and University of Western Australia. In Canada, Trinity College in Toronto also hosts these events.
Some newer universities, often called "red brick universities," also have similar traditions. For example, certain student residences at Bristol, Leeds, and Exeter hold these meals. They do this to help teachers and students connect more. It also makes the students' learning experience richer. Colleges at some Australian universities, like the Australian National University and Monash University, also have gowned formal dinners.
The way "formals" are run can be very different from one college to another. In some places, they might happen every night. They are simply a second dinner where gowns are worn and a prayer is said. In other colleges, formals are special events. Guests from outside the college are often invited. These events might even have fun themes and entertainment. Most colleges fall somewhere in between these two types.
What Are Formal Meals Called?
The names for these special dinners can be different depending on where you are. Here are some common names:
- Formal hall is a popular name used at Oxford, Cambridge, Royal Holloway, and Durham.
- Formal Meal or formal dinner are also used sometimes. For example, at Devonshire Hall in Leeds.
- Common meal is the name for these subsidised meals at St Andrews.
- Commons is what they are called at Trinity College in Dublin.
- High table is used at Trinity College and Massey College in the University of Toronto.
Often, people just shorten the name to formal. At St John's College, Cambridge, it's sometimes just called hall. Sometimes, a college might have a big dining hall and a more casual eating area. In these cases, casual meals are eaten in the casual area, and the term hall is used only for the formal meal. Some might call it "second hall" to tell it apart from the earlier, self-service "first hall" or "informal hall."
Traditions at Formal Meals
Some colleges have many old traditions, while others are more relaxed. A prayer might be said before the meal. In some places, this prayer is even in Latin.
Wearing academic gowns is a must at formals in some colleges. In other places, you might need to wear formal wear, like a suit for boys or a similar fancy outfit for girls. Sometimes, you need to wear both formal clothes and a gown.
A fun tradition called "pennying" has been around for a long time in many colleges at Cambridge, Oxford, St Andrews, and Durham. However, it is banned in some colleges, like Keble College, Oxford and Pembroke in Cambridge. In other places, if you try it, you might be asked to leave the meal by staff. You could even get a fine at St Chad's College, Durham. At University College, Durham, they use corks instead of pennies for a similar tradition. Some Cambridge colleges use Smarties instead of pennies. This is because the kitchen staff asked for it, as pennies can cause problems in dishwashers.
Almost all formal halls at Bristol, Durham, Leeds, St Andrews, Royal Holloway, Dublin, Oxford, and Cambridge colleges have a high table. This special table is only for the college's senior staff and their guests. Students eat at the lower tables. The high table is often raised up on a platform. Some newer colleges, like Wolfson College, Cambridge and Wolfson College, Oxford, do not have this practice. They want to promote equality between teachers and students.
Sometimes, there might be one or more after dinner speakers. They might speak at the end of the dinner or even between courses on special occasions.
