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Dotsie,We've tried having get-togethers, but with so many different cultures (and varying food - and dress - restrictions) it hasn't yet worked out to be comfortable for everyone. We had a neighbourhood Canada Day party at one of the houses one street over last year. Some people drank too much too fast, others didn't drink at all, some of the food shouldn't have been sitting out in the hot sun as long as it did (meaning that late-comers didn't have much choice in what to eat - and again, MANY different cultural food restrictions).

Our neighbourhood is so eclectic...every household is from a different cultural background. We're a mini United Nations just in this one block of 48 houses). It's interesting and we love it, we love meeting people and finding out their backgrounds (some have horrendous stories of survival through unimaginable torture and hardship, and have come here with nothing but the clothes on their backs). But as wonderful as diversity is, it does make it somewhat difficult to get everyone together for one cohesive function.

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So it sounds like your neighbourhood won't be having its block party this year??

If not, that's a shame. It sounds like some good neighbourly connections were made/reinforced.

Couldn't the party just be booze-free? or punch that is spiked with only a bit of alcohol? I don't think you can please everyone, only the majority.

Frankly I'm abit bewildered...I mean alot of people nowadays have parties where they must prepare food that considers both meat eaters and vegetarians. Maybe kosher food can be bought from somewhere...to make life easier with their own paper plates.

I didn't realize the dress code would be a big deal. It is the reality of immigrating to Canada.

I guess I've hung around too many strict Mennonites who had relatives that become non-Mennonites and hence, wore shorts and tank tops.