ABSTRACT
Calendar feasts were not the only type of ritual occasions that coincided with the offering of hospitality. Rites of passage such as christenings, funerals and weddings were also events when hosts offered dinners and drinks to relatives and friends. Obviously, a diary like David Beck’s only offers information on these kind of events upon occurrence, and unfortunately 1624 was not a very busy year in terms of births, marriages and deaths, at least for the Beck household. However, Beck does mention a number of weddings and Beck’s sister-in-law did give birth to a baby daughter.
