'Pass the celery'

The celery in this case was a first course, an appetizer, like the fruit cup they were eating in the first meal. You'll still see it served that way, sometimes as part of a canape tray. It's also frequently served with the stems filled with peanut butter or cream cheese.

Elvis is DEAD

Have you seen "All About Eve" and the scene where Bette Davis grabs a stalk of celery at the table? I think serving raw vegetables at dinner used to be fairly common. I know my mother used to sometimes put a relish dish with raw celery and carrots on the table sometimes. But, I think it's not something we do or see much anymore....