Sentence:  Particularly resistant, for example, in many parts of northern Europe was the “spinning <WSD>bee</WSD>”, a nocturnal gathering of women to exchange gossip, stories, refreshment and – crucially – light and heat, as they spun wool or flax, knitted or sewed. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (gathering) A gathering for a specific purpose, e.g. a sewing bee or a quilting bee.