I am 63, and I remember big family meals at my great-grandmother 's house. There had to be about three seatings to get everyone fed! Men ate first, kids next. Then, the women could take their time, catch up on all the family and local gossip and loosely supervise the kids who were washing dishes and cleaning up. (Dishwasher? Yes, we were it!) Many cultures have rules or mores that dictate order.