Published in Games from Antiquity to Baroque

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This scholarly investigation intricately navigates the captivating juncture where festive celebrations intersect with culinary traditions within the historical context of Al-Andalus, offering nuanced insights into their pivotal function as forms of public entertainment. By immersing into historical archives, literary compositions, and culinary manuscripts, this scholarly inquiry unveils the multifaceted interplay of Islamic, Christian, and Jewish influences, culminating in a vibrant and culturally intricate culinary panorama. The analytical exploration delves into iconic celebrations such as ʿĪd al-Fitr and ʿĪd al-Adḥā, where Islamic practices seamlessly intertwined with the fabric of Arabic culinary heritage. Similarly, festivities such as al-ʿAnṣara and Nawrūz, which emanated from Christian and Jewish traditions, eloquently demonstrated the harmonious convergence of diverse cultural facets. Manifested through opulent arrays of tantalizing gastronomic offerings, these celebratory banquets embodied notions of opulence, camaraderie, and collective elation. The Andalusi disposition, oscillating between restrained modesty and opulent abundance, contributed an additional stratum of intricacy. In its essence, the cultural synthesis discernible within Al-Andalus vividly underscores how the amalgamation of multifarious culinary traditions served as a bridge between communities, facilitating the commemoration of unity during an embrace of religious diversity.