Family dinners used to mean something. You weren’t just scrolling on your phone, or grabbing takeout. You actually had to sit down with the family, and get to hear all the stories mom and dad had to tell. It was a whole new world of appreciation and respect. Let’s take a look back at the lost commandments of the dinner table.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. No Elbows on the Table
- 2 2. Wait Until Everyone is Served
- 3 3. Clean Your Plate
- 4 4. Ask to Be Excused
- 5 5. No Reading Material
- 6 6. Use Your Napkin Properly
- 7 7. No Reaching Across the Table
- 8 8. Chew with Your Mouth Closed
- 9 9. No TV During Dinner
- 10 10. Children Speak When Spoken To
- 11 11. Set the Table Properly
- 12 12. Say Grace Before Eating
1. No Elbows on the Table
The moment your elbow even grazed the table, you’d hear it from Mom or Dad. It was all about respect and appreciation for the food, and that you weren’t slouched over because it could be perceived that you were bored. Some parents actually set up strings like a mission impossible scene across the table to catch ducking elbows.
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2. Wait Until Everyone is Served
Massive amounts of built up hunger tension created a scenario where that first bite was heavenly. The potatoes may have gone cold, but it was worth it to take a seat and wait for mom.
3. Clean Your Plate
You best believe that those starving kids in africa were going to be the last thing you thought of as you finished every last pea on your plate, because not only did you not have an option to leave the table, you also had to stay and finish your meal if you didn’t want to wait an eternity for freedom. Actually, many new laws do exist to protect kids from clean plate club mentality now, but at least in our days it was a ticket out of your seat.
4. Ask to Be Excused
Saying, “May I please be excused?” was part of etiquette just like putting your napkin on your lap, and “excused” was about as formal as one could get at a meal. What’s more, simply standing up and leaving was unthinkable. It was a way to recognize and acknowledge that the dinner was not just a meal, but a social event, one that had the purpose of bringing the family together.
5. No Reading Material
Bringing something to read to the table was completely out of the question. It would be impolite to read something while also helping make conversation. They prohibited all reading materials including cereal boxes. They would have a “no phones at the table” rule at today’s dinners.
6. Use Your Napkin Properly
Your napkin was supposed to be in your lap, and no where else. Proper dabbing was required, and vigorous wipes, blows, or nose blows in the napkin were completely forbidden. Some families even personalized their napkins with holders.
7. No Reaching Across the Table
Reaching across the table for something was considered rude. Instead, you had to say “Please pass the…” and it taught communication nicely, even if it meant waiting forever for the meal to be passed.
8. Chew with Your Mouth Closed
Chewing with your mouth closed is something that is expected everywhere and some parents counted how many times you chewed, demanding atleast 10 or 20 chews.
9. No TV During Dinner
Dinnertime was family time, and we didn’t have the tv on for anything except special occasions like the Moon landing. Typically we’d even skip tv for Walter Cronkite, and only Dad would get to decide if we would be watching the news before dinner.
10. Children Speak When Spoken To
Kids were supposed to be quiet at the table, and especially when we had guests, this was taken more seriously. Speaking without permission was frowned upon, and if it was adult conversation you were not allowed to jump in. This was meant to be a lesson in patience and respect, but we’d often feel like we were going to explode with all the school gossip.
11. Set the Table Properly
Setting the table was serious business. There were rules about cutlery and glass placements and forks went on the left, knives and spoons on the right with the glass above the knife. To help remember which was the drink and which was the bread, we’d put our thumbs and forefingers together to make a lowercase b and d.
12. Say Grace Before Eating
It was a sign of respect that many families would not touch anything on the table until a prayer was said to thank the creator for the food, even those without a known religion would have some call it a prayer of reference before eating.
