A potluck is a communal gathering where each guest or group contributes a different, often homemade, dish of food to be shared.
Other names for a "potluck" include: potluck dinner, pitch-in, shared lunch, spread, faith supper, carry-in dinner, [1] covered-dish-supper, [2] fuddle, Jacob's Join, [3] bring a plate, [4] pot-providence and fellowship meal.
The modern execution of a "communal meal, where guests bring their own food to share with others", most likely originated in the 1930s during the Great Depression. [5] It is a respelling of the Chinook jargon word for a communal meal, potlatch (meaning "to give away"), which has been a common tradition among the North American indigenous people for centuries.
Potluck dinners are events where attendees bring a dish to a meal. [6] The only traditional rule is that each dish be large enough to be shared among a good portion of the anticipated guests. Guests may bring in any form of food, ranging from the main course to desserts. [7] .
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