When I was a kid and living at home, evening meals held in a formal dining room were the norm.  Things have changed drastically, wherein formal dining rooms are a thing of the past.  Everyone seems to prefer an informal way of living, such as eating at counters, in front of the TV, and in the car on the way to an event.  My mom would set the table with a cloth tablecloth, breakable dishes versus plastic, matching silverware, and to top everything off, we ate by candlelight.  This didn’t seem odd, and we enjoyed engaging in discussions of our days and events.