Banquet Stele at Istanbul Archaeology Museum
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose, such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, often preceded or followed by speeches in honor of someone.
Banquets have been used as a formal occasion for thousands of years. Royalty and higher classes have frequently thrown banquets for special events, such as birthdays, weddings, betrothals, and holidays. Some banquets are used to signing a treaty or agreements of some sort.