My grandmother had this genteel, mid-20th-century habit of always having a relish tray. This was a cut glass dish divided into compartments, containing pitted black olives, celery sticks, scallions, radishes, and gherkin pickles, all resting on a bed of ice. It was sort of puzzling, as a kid...the items on the tray could not exactly be considered appetizers; they were just what was out there on the table when you got there. Inevitably, it got eaten, at least some of it.

Cuban grandma chops up the turkey and cooks it in a pot with tomatoes and onions...'

The tradition doesn't date back to Plymouth Rock, but it's been with us for a good long while. It became widespread in the late 19th century when Southern California vegetables were first shipped around the country in air-conditioned railway cars.

Before that time, many destinations back East didn't have much choice of fresh vegetables in November.

Celery played an important role on the tray because it was a special occasion treat. Before self-blanching varieties were developed in the 20th century, celery was a labor-intensive product. The stalks had to be blanched by covering them with dirt as they grew, the same way that endive is blanched, and for the same reason — traditional celery varieties were too bitter to eat if the stalks were exposed to light and turned green.

Hard as it may be to imagine now, celery was once so upscale that special dishes were designed for displaying and serving it. And at Thanksgiving, people were willing to splurge on this luxury food.

Being located in the nation's vegetable garden, Southern Californians became particularly fond of the relish tray. From the beginning of the 20th century until well into the 1960s, more or less condensed versions automatically appeared on the table at many Southland restaurants. Like the custom of serving salad before the meal (which shocked Easterners who served it at the end, in the French manner), it was part of our patriotic infatuation with local produce.

Mrs. Allen on Cooking, Menus, Service, Ida C. Bailey Allen (c. 1924), Chapter IX: "Foods that begin a meal" (p. 103-118)
Canapes, hot and cold, cocktails (fruit, oysters, clam, lobster, crabmeat), relishes (olives, pickle, radish roses, plain/stuffed celery, pickled pears or peaches, salted nuts).

Fun.

We always had a relish tray growing up only it wasn't really a tray, just a bunch of nice dishes with pickles, olives, those little onions, celery, radishes, etc.

BUT her mum (my ggmum) grew up in Wisconsin and came from a fairly well-to-do family.