Pearls and aprons are a thing of the past!
Paper Plates & Plastic Cups
It’s not “Leave It To Beaver” days anymore and family dinner time nowadays is far more casual than it was in Beaver’s home.
Many new brides like the notion of being the mom that wears pearls and a frilly apron setting the scene for a beautiful family dinner.
However, once children arrive on the scene, the pace of family life kicks into overdrive.
The Nostalgic Family Dinner Time Ritual
If we go back to the “olden days” and look at family dinner time and the ritualistic preparation that was lovingly practiced daily, you can find that moms made dinner time special.
The coming together of the family after a long day of work or school fostered dialogue shared between parents and children as well as a time to reconnect.
Mothers would spend most of the afternoon preparing a hearty meal that was home cooked.
As dinner time approached, she would take out a clean, pressed tablecloth and drape it across the table.
Smoothing out the wrinkles and lines, she paid attention to symmetry ensuring the tablecloth was even on all sides.
Next, she would carry the beautiful china plates from the china hutch over to the table where the plates were placed at each family member’s seat.
Continuing, she carried a host of other beautiful ornate items from the hutch to the table.
Silver forks, spoons, knives, small bread plates, and crystal water goblets were carefully placed at each setting.
The cloth napkins were folded into crescent shapes and situated in the center of each dinner plate.
Now, this was a typical family dinner setting.
On more special occasions, the silver candelabras and fine silver was polished and used with a fresh floral centerpiece on the table.
Mothers back then were proud of the dinnerware that filled china hutches throughout homes.
This dinnerware symbolized the beauty of the family coming together to share a meal.
Often back then, Christian families had their family devotional at the dinner table either before or after the meal.
Families prayed together over prayer lists the mothers kept organized and updated.
The ritual of a family dinner was a cherished chore for mothers because it was done in love for her husband and children.
Modern Day Family Dinner Time
We fast-forward to today and compare the olden days of family dinner time to today’s standard.
There is no comparison because the art of the family having dinner together has been lost through the ages.
Tables are no longer lovingly set with beautiful dishes, much less a cloth napkin or tablecloth.
China hutches are no longer a thing coveted by women but are instead viewed as stuffy pieces of furniture that store the antiquities of our ancestors.
Meals are merely zapped in the microwave now or picked up at a fast food place on the way home from work.
Paper plates and plastic cups have replaced the fine china and crystal, and dialogue has been replaced with our attention being fixated on devices during dinner.
What happened to the time families shared together at the end of the day?
Technology has influenced our lives substantially, and instant gratification is the root cause of no longer desiring to do things the old-fashioned way because too much time is required from us and our schedules.
Modern mothers may not even know the art of setting a table or preparing a meal made from scratch. We can’t fault them for that.
However, if the desire is there, it is easily learned.
Budgeting Time for A Weekly Family Dinner
With the busy lives we lead now, having a “traditional” family dinner time during the week just does not fit into our schedules.
You can recreate this family dinner ritual once a week on the weekend to breathe life into the tradition of a family gathered for a meal.
You can set the table, prepare a great meal, and share it with your family.
The effort will not go unnoticed and will be something your family will anticipate during the week!
Refuse to be a “paper plate, plastic cup” kind of family every single day and bring out the beautiful dishes and set the table every now and then.
How do I create this old-fashioned family dinner?
There are simple steps to recreating this special family dinner time in your own home.
It does not require expensive china, fine silver, or even table linen!
It’s not about the table settings, but about the family that is gathered around the table.
You can prepare anything you’d like, set the table the way you want, and most importantly, enjoy your family time together!
You can even have a long distant dinner with your loved ones thanks to products like the Facebook Portal.
