[derstander]

> Perhaps the cold climate means people mingle less, and so social occasions are meant to reaffirm social cohesion, to the exclusion of airing differences.

I know this article and comment is about the Nordic countries. But I'm not sure this reasoning is generalizable across countries/cultures. In my experience, climate doesn't seem to be the driver in the US. I'm not sure whether or not New Englanders are more sensitive, but folks from other parts of the country seem to find us more gruff than e.g. down south or in the southwest. ;)