See, I think this is a very deep-seated cultural difference. If I may relate a story, in the late 80's, I was working for Honeywell, and we were partners in a NATO contract. We had visitors from our European allies, and I remember strongly a time the Italian team was here. These were aeronautical and electrical engineers, and over the course of several days they of course shared meals with our (US) team. It turned out that the Italians were absolutely scandalized, although they tried hard not to show it. The American lunches would last 30 minutes, consist of sandwiches that came out of a box, and there was no wine on the table. This struck them as completely odd. So, the thing is, Americans tend to think a good eating experience requires a special event or holiday. Europeans pretty much just have lunch.