Daily Activities Not Done as Much in the 21st Century



There are many activities and simple pleasures of years ago enjoyed by your ancestors. These many things are not done anymore, especially in the 21st century. Here are a few examples to see what was done by your ancestors.

After most people in the 1930s and beyond had a telephone, just one, and to get a phone call from a person you knew is such a treat. There were not the telemarketers, or scammers, of today. A special treat was the long-distance calls from friends and family which were rare since it was so expensive to call long distance.

Watching for the mailman and getting mail was another treat years ago. One might get a handwritten letter from a friend or family member. You might have had a pen pal and that was a really special letter to keep receiving. Postcards and thank you cards, birthday cards and especially Christmas cards were great to receive in the regular US Postal mail. Those who did not get mail delivered to their home but rather went to the post office to a box didn’t mind that. It offered a chance to visit with friends doing the same thing at the post office.

Having visitors to your home, especially unexpected was another fine memory years ago. It might be a neighbor or a friend in town, yet always a treat.

In the 21st century, a lot more shopping was done online and sent to the house. Your ancestors would dress up in good clothes and go to the store. They also knew most of the store owners they visited so it was a social event also.

Dinner time was family time. Everyone in the household gathered at the dinner table for the evening meal. This way they could talk over the day’s events and keep informed of what each member was doing. Most of the time any watching of TV came after dinner.

Evening watching television has changed. There were for years only a few channels to select from. Your ancestors still loved the TV because there were great shows. In the 21st century, one can have hundreds of channels covering many different topics but may still not be happy with what there is to select from.

Photo: The family watching television together in 1950s.

Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:

Life in 1900

Social Life and School in the 1950s

What Our Ancestors Had

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