Over 140 years, Ormond has developed a set of traditions known as ‘formal hall’ that turns regular weekday evenings into a special part of Ormond life. While these traditions have changed over time, their importance has not. Dining together has long been a cherished part of life at College.
For many decades, Ormondians dressed for dinner. Students had to wear an academic gown to dinner and a jacket at every meal until the end of the 1960s. In the ensuing decades, dress standards relaxed; gowns were also abolished in the 1980s but reintroduced in the 1990s. In 2014, a special embroidered gown was introduced for students with an outstanding academic record. A more casual, cafeteria-style meal was introduced on weekends in the 1990s, and is now the norm, with ‘formal hall’ held on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Dinner at Ormond in 1912.
Some things about dinner are unchanged since 1881, including Ormond’s Latin grace, which the Master offers before the meal. Beginning Benedicat benedictus… this continues to be given in Latin, although some previous Masters have offered it in English. All have done so from the ‘high table’, where Masters, staff and guests dine. Also ongoing is ‘spooning in’; the tradition of welcoming victorious teams to formal hall with a chorus of cutlery on the table.
Ormondians enjoy dinner after ‘spooning in’ a victorious rowing crew.
Other practices have come and gone. At one time, a person at each table was responsible for slicing bread and delivering it airborne to diners with a flick of the bread knife. In the late 1970s, latecomers to dinner had to stand until they could catch the Master’s eye and nod at him before being seated. Also in keeping with wider societal trends, the evening meal was known as ‘tea’, with ‘dinner’ being reserved for special occasions. Also a thing of the past are dedicated tables for vegetarians (once necessary for ease of serving), along with reserved tables for any other group. Currently, when the Master delivers the Grace the students shout ‘Huzzah!’, a practice introduced as an O-week joke nearly a decade ago.
While the practical arrangements have changed over time, sharing an evening meal remains an important part of the life of the College. Sitting down together where Ormondians have gathered for over a century gives students and staff a sense of community and of history.
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