One of Charleston’s favorite and most meaningful springtime events will return for a ninth year on Sunday, May 3, when houses of worship across the peninsula will open their doors to residents and tourists interested in learning more about the city’s diverse faith traditions and how they’re expressed through food.
The free event annually draws hundreds of tourgoers eager to understand the stories behind the okra soup ladled out at Mother Emanuel AME Church, the fruit pies sliced at First Church of Christ, Scientist, the hummus shared at the Central Mosque of Charleston, and the pilau served with collard greens at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, to name just four of the nearly two dozen dishes offered without charge at as many venues.
“There’s a Jewish tradition of serving honey to schoolchildren because learning is so sweet,” said Hanna Raskin, founder of The Food Section, who in 2017 cofounded the program with College of Charleston religious studies professor Elijah Siegler. “While Spirited Brunchers are bound to get their share of sweetness--I think of the baklava at Holy Trinity, benne wafers at St. Stephen’s, and lebkuchen at Lutheran congregations--we’ve learned over the years that flavors both sugary and savory imprint what participants discover about the community to which we all belong.”
In addition to The Food Section and the College of Charleston, Spirited Brunch is co-sponsored by the Charleston Interreligious Council and the Preservation Society of Charleston. Many of the city’s most historic buildings are open for sanctuary tours during the event, including South Carolina’s only Catholic cathedral, the only active Huguenot church in the Western Hemisphere, and the oldest U.S. synagogue in continuous use.
Spirited Brunch is open to all, without fee or preregistration. Participants are encouraged to start whenever and wherever they choose during the 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. event on Sunday May, 3, including a pair of headquarters at the College of Charleston’s Alumni Center and Pink Cactus, both of which will provide free printed maps, hand fans, and bottled water. Additionally, several congregations without downtown locations are represented at those sites.
An online tour route map and more information are now available at thefoodsection.com/sbdetails.