Can you imagine a party without food? Have you ever bellied up to the buffet, even though you were already
full, just to be sociable? Does the act of breaking bread with someone with whom you’re angry ease the tension? Is
it easy to be quiet at a dinner party? If you answered no-yes-yes-no to these questions, you have probably noticed
the social implications of eating. Yes, we eat to stay alive, but there’s much more to it than that. We eat with others
to establish and maintain friendly relationships. Four main occasions illustrate this social reason for eating: parties,
banquets, family meals, and funerals