Ever wonder how certain things came to be? How did the dining table evolve is the question at hand today -
The history of dining tables dates back to the Middle Ages when upper class Britons and European nobility lived in castles, palaces, and manors and would eat in a large rectangular room called the Great Hall. The family would sit at the head table on a dais, and the remaining members of the home would sit in order of diminishing rank away from them. Tables in the Great Hall were usually long trestle tables with benches. Over time, this upper class population began to desire more intimate gatherings in smaller rooms called Parlors, just off the hallway. This was mainly due to political and social changes, including the Black Plague and religious persecutions under Henry VIII. Eventually dining in the Great Hall was only for special occasions. In the early 18th century, ladies of the house would leave the parlor or dining room and head to the drawing room, known as a living room today, while the men would stay and have drinks at the table.
The history of dining tables dates back to the Middle Ages when upper class Britons and European nobility lived in castles, palaces, and manors and would eat in a large rectangular room called the Great Hall. The family would sit at the head table on a dais, and the remaining members of the home would sit in order of diminishing rank away from them. Tables in the Great Hall were usually long trestle tables with benches. Over time, this upper class population began to desire more intimate gatherings in smaller rooms called Parlors, just off the hallway. This was mainly due to political and social changes, including the Black Plague and religious persecutions under Henry VIII. Eventually dining in the Great Hall was only for special occasions. In the early 18th century, ladies of the house would leave the parlor or dining room and head to the drawing room, known as a living room today, while the men would stay and have drinks at the table.
