When we meet friends or family, we like to make a meal of it. In Europe, these catch-ups tend to be conducted in a restaurant and are usually a rare occasion. They have to be rare occasions because they are expensive. When I lived in Spain and France, I noticed that people do not throw dinner parties in their homes. It’s the restaurant for baptisms, weddings and funerals and other family or friend gatherings. Rarely, if ever, in one’s house.