I personally prefer the more casual times with my family than to have a stuffy evening. I think that you are wrong in saying that all people in either place are like this as I lived several years in Europe and apart from most guest bringing flowers or wime when you had a party(which was nice). I found the celebrations to be just as informal and relaxed as ones in the US.

I think so. Personally I'm tired of the same old pizza, wings and subs, no place to sit. You gotta eat off your lap because the table space is for the food. You have to worry about people spilling your drink and despite knowing everyone there, you still may end up with no one to socialize with. I wouldn't mind going to a celebration a little bit more formal like you described. People being dressed nicer, a long table so we can all eat together. Sounds good to me.

Eh... not all people here do that. Some of us entertain much more formally, it just doesn't sound like you're hanging out with the people who do.

While many people value traditional, formal dining, I think it's not practical for the lifestyle of most Americans. Besides, while it's nice to dress up and eat extravagantly on special occasions, sometimes the fanfare surrounding that kind of get-together actually detracts from what should be the focus: spending quality time with whomever you're with. And the quality of that time has nothing to do with food, clothing, or atmosphere. A Subway restaurant could spell a good time just as much as a country club brunch!