How did family mealtimes change over the years between 1920 and 1970?

Answer 1

First, it is important to mention that many poorer families had little to no food. So the answer below assumes times of prosperity, when food was not so scarce.

In the 1880s through early 1920s, a "family" consisted of the extended family, too. Often, one set of grandparents, and an aunt or uncle, lived with the immediate family.

Families typically ate at one table, together, at a set dinner time. Larger families had two large tables.

Dinner was a ritual, complete with a prayer offered ("saying Grace"). In most families, dinner time was also a time for conversation among the members of a family. However, in families with abuse or Alcoholism, the wife and children were forbidden to speak during dinner.

With World War 2, families became fragmented. If a mom worked outside the home while her husband fought in the war, the mother and children often lived with the grandparents. Meals were still at a particular time, but some members might be missing if at work or overseas.

Most families had a radio through the 1930s. Not all families had television sets in the late 1940s. While families did not generally gather with food to listen to radio shows, but some families began to eat meals while watching TV shows. However, MOST families still insisted the family eat as a group at the dining room table. The same continued through the 1960s.

Today, all families do things differently. Some do / some don't have mealtimes.

NOTE: This does not address the millions of people who ate alone, or the millions of people now who eat alone.

Answer 2

Family mealtimes shifted from being formal and structured events in the 1920s to more casual and relaxed gatherings by the 1970s. In the 1920s, meals were often served at set times with specific roles for family members, while by the 1970s, families were more likely to eat on the go or in front of the TV, leading to decreased quality time spent together during meals. Additionally, there was a trend towards greater variety in meal options and more convenience foods in the 1970s compared to the 1920s.