Dinner parties. What exactly do people mean?

[nkf]

I like having people round and I like going to people's houses. But I don't think I've been to a dinner party for years. Do people still mean:

matching table linen
matching china
several kinds of wine (and wine glasses)
three courses (maybe even cheese as well couples only (with key swapping afterwards)

And if so, isn't it a bit of a faff?

PS: I didn't really mean the bit about key swapping.
PPS: I took it for granted that people swap keys.

My parents used to have people round for dinner
So they would have a couple over once every 6 months and go back to said couple for dinner once every 6 months, so only actually having dinner with them twice a year. They never did any more than one couple though

We have people round for food, no matching table linen, might be a takeaway, might be a roast
certainly no 'best clothes' or key swapping goes on

I like matching table linen and wine glasses! I'll call anyone coming round for a takeaway a dinner party and put a nice table cloth on.

we push the boat out a bit when people come 'for dinner': nice china, often a tablecloth, good glassware. But our dining room is open plan to the kitchen, so it's hardly like eating at Le Gavroche. Especially considering everyone still drinks too much and gets the old photos out and starts fiddling about with the iPod composing soundtracks to our lives.