A feast is a celebratory religious observance, the contrast to a fast.  The root of the word has more to do with “festival” and the religious meaning has more to do with antiphons than to do with food.  Yet we apply the third meaning of a sumptuous meal to each of these instances.  I wonder what could be made if we used the more religious definition?

• 05.015 I guess it’s a choice feast;
• 08.048 and there was a great feast going on,
• 08.056 A feast would be no good,
• 08.057 But without a feast
• 08.057 in the woodland feast;
• 08.071 The feast that they now saw was greater
• 08.071 and at the head of a long line of feasters
• 08.104 It had thought of starting the feast while the others were away,
• 08.131 The feasting people were Wood-elves,
• 09.024 There is a feast tonight
• 09.025 but for the king’s feasts only,
• 09.029 As a matter of fact there was a great autumn feast
• 09.039 They had left a merry feast
• 09.042 He’s been having a little feast all to himself
• 09.046 you began your feasting early
• 09.048 is pushed into the river for the Lake-men to feast on for nothing!’
• 10.009 and the boatmen went to feast in Lake-town.
• 10.026 He is at feast,’
• 13.045 the hall of feasting
• 15.034 and feasting by the fires.
• 18.039 then the feast shall indeed be splendid!’
• 18.051 and wide to feast at Beorn’s bidding.
• 19.043 and fruit and feasting in autumn.

“feast, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.