The importance of being . . . in vogue at Thanksgiving

As the holidays are fast approaching and homes are being filled with seasonal decor and delectable scents, one thing that resonates with many is the importance of the appearance of the holiday dining table. From furniture, to place settings to the festive menu, the host’s dining room is transformed into a Rockwell painting. The time and effort put into the preparation of the holiday feast has long been a point of pride in early 20th century society. Take this line from Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play, The Importance of Being Earnest regarding a meal:

“Yes, but you must be serious about it. I hate people who are not
serious about meals. It is so shallow of them,” Algernon in Act 1

Decor was also particularly important to the early 20th Century Thanksgiving experience. This fact quickly becomes apparent due to the abundance of holiday furniture sales advertisements published in newspapers leading up to Thanksgiving Day. We at the NJDNP Office would like to share some of those advertisements. According to historical documentation from the IRS, a worker’s average weekly take home pay during 2nd decade of the 20th century was between $15.35 and $28.00. Keep these salaries in mind while looking at the ads below.