The Lost Art of the Dinner Party

Hosting a dinner party used to be an event. It was a time to bring people together, share some special times over a great meal, and even add a little bit of formality to the meal. A dinner party gave everyone a chance to mingle, to socialize, and to make new friends. Simply sharing a special evening together always seemed to bring everyone so much closer.

Today, many of us are so busy we have forgotten the importance of gathering people together and creating our own special occasion. There doesn't need to be a holiday or a birthday to gather around the table. A dinner party used to be the special event rather than a way to earmark a special event.

Children in their dress clothes would stay up way too late and fall asleep on the couch. A little bit of wine followed by the best recipes you could find would keep the night going until dessert and coffee brought everyone to satisfied but sleepy end. The early morning hours would creep up and the night always ended with lots of hugs, best wishes, and promises to meet again soon. Unfortunately, over time those promises stopped being kept and the dinner party fell to the wayside.

We often say that we have too much to do to bring everyone around the table again. While most families don't even eat with each other due to scheduling conflicts it can be hard to imagine being able to schedule a dinner party. Yet, once the invitations are received it is amazing how many people can clear their schedule for the night in question.

Whether it's the aroma of a roast in the oven for half the day or the clank of the fine china that makes that very distinctive sound there are all kinds of little things that make a dinner party special. What stands out the most is simply the easy way people can come together. Competitive positions can be dropped and argumentative debates can wash away over a good meal and a great time. It's like time stands still for the evening. Nobody needs to prove anything and everyone is there just for the enjoyment of being there. How often does that happen anymore?

Throwing dinner parties can be one of the most concrete ways to keep in touch with special friends that have cramped schedules. It can unit families and bring old friends back in touch with what is really important. It doesn't matter how often you email or text, there is nothing quite like gathering around and just being together for the sake of being among friends.