Of secrets and food

There’s this secret dinner party. Well, it’s not secret. Everyone knows it happens and the city sort of just looks the other way. But the guest list is secret and so is the location. Yet 10,000 people attended the last one.

It’s called the Dîner en Blanc, the Dinner in White, and it happens in Paris each year. You can read about it here. There is one planned for New York City, with some modifications and not quite the same class distinctions.

The headline worked, because it made me want to know how 10k people keep a secret and just what the secret was – and obviously it was no longer a secret so, what gives. So I read the article and I was fascinated that something like that could be pulled off. It’s an intriguing idea. But as I read the article I realized that it wasn’t that unusual. At least it wasn’t unique. I know of something similar. I’ve even been there.

I’m not really sure I should give many details here, but I can say that I know of something like this, though it is much more casual. OK, it is extremely casual and it only slightly resembles this dinner. Actually, the dinner resembles it because the dinner is of more recent creation. One thing they have in common is a strange type of secrecy.

Somewhere in one of the 50 states there is a party held every year. People show up on a certain day, which is fixed, though the time is flexible as it is an all day, ongoing party. You bring whatever food you want to eat and to share and everyone partakes of whatever is brought. Meals are not set and seating is random.

The cool part is, if you know about the party you’re invited. It may not draw 10k people, but it is a more or less open invitation party and lots of people do show up. And it’s a secret, sort of. It’s also been going on for at least 30 years.

This and the dinner mentioned in the article have a few other things in common. The concepts of bringing food and seating and tables apply, as does the policy of cleaning up after yourself. But far from being fancy dress white this is more of a hippie cookout – tie-dye is more likely than tuxedo. Shorts and t-shirts are the order of the day and the food is pot luck, unpretentious and very good. There is a large portion of protein provided by the host, all else comes with the guests, as does the entertainment. There are few rules, no formality and lots of mingling and talk, music, some dance and even fireworks.

It’s a party.

I haven’t been able to attend in many years, but it’s pretty cool.

I wonder where else this sort of thing happens? How many open secrets are there in the world? How many dinners and dances and cookouts and parties happen all around us that we know nothing about, but would know if we just happened to stumble on them? There is magic in all of this. Everyday human magic, but no less potent for that. Humans can think up some pretty interesting ways to get together and have fun.