After visitors pass the metal detectors at the entrance, the chatting continues even through the service. But mostly, holidays here for Americans are about food. That's when the work begins. It starts with the ordeal of finding a host. This might be the only person with a dining room.
Most apartments are modest and cramped.
The prospective host sometimes needs coercion, guilt or blackmail to seal the deal. Holiday meals are typically potlucks. The host usually delegates who should bring what. But it is not merely a matter of honey cake. It takes quite an effort, but there's no alternative.