What's unique about the party in Chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby?

This social gathering isn't so much a party as it is a reunion between Gatsby and Daisy, disguised as an invitation from Nick, her cousin, to tea. Gatsby has asked Jordan to ask Nick to invite Daisy over for tea, and so he has. Daisy is supposed to arrive, alone, at four o'clock, and—at two minutes to four—Gatsby panics that she's not coming. When she does, and Nick lets her in, they return to his living room, where he finds that Gatsby has vanished. Gatsby then knocks, and "glar[es] tragically into [his] eyes" from the front door. He attempts to appear nonchalant, an attempt which fails miserably and nearly results in the breaking of Nick's clock.

It is odd that, even though Gatsby wanted this meeting with Daisy, he begins to feel that it is a "'terrible mistake'" because it is awkward. Nick forces Gatsby to return to the room while he waits outside in the rain, and when Nick comes back in, Daisy's face is stained with tears and Gatsby "literally glowed," just like the sun that has managed to come out despite the awful rain earlier. They seem to have established that they each still love the other. The three of them then, awkwardly, go to Gatsby's house because he wants to show it off to Daisy but seems not to want to be alone with her yet.

What do the parties in The Great Gatsby symbolize?

Gatsby's parties are full of exciting hijinks and predictable banality, intense conflict and superficial resolution, and beautiful men and women in beautiful clothes against a backdrop of grotesque wealth and excess. The symbolism in these juxtapositions represents the tension between imaginative escapist fantasy and the sad realities of normal life.

Nick's experiences at these parties are complicated, and his experiences must be analyzed, as it is through his eyes that the reader experiences the parties. He observes the attractiveness of the experience with some detachment, as if he recognizes that he has fallen into the trap despite knowing it was set in the first place. Gatsby's parties are a performance, but they are a compelling performance, and one that feels magical to those able to participate in the show. No one can be blamed for wanting to be a part of something magical, but there is a slightly pathetic element to the whole situation. The parties symbolize this tension, whether the tension belongs to an individual or to a larger social group.

There are many meanings to the parties in the Great Gatsby. Let me give you a few of them. 

First, the great parties are a commentary on the times in which Jay Gatsby lived. It was a time of unprecedented wealth in America. The "roaring twenties" were a time of conspicuous spending and wealth. The fact that the novel does not end on a happy note shows that money cannot buy happiness. 

Second, there is also a note of autobiography in these parties, as Fitzgerald himself was known to lead a wild life of partying. He also tried to win a girl's heart in the process, much like Jay Gatsby. 

Third, from a literary point of view, the parties are over the top and beyond excessive. So, from this point, Jay Gatsby lives up to the title of the book, "The Great Gatsby." He is like an illusionist or performer who can bend reality and create something from nothing. It is about showmanship. The tragedy is that it is all an illusion, and in the end nothing will come of it. 

Finally, these parties serve to heighten tragedy in that all these friendships are fickle. When Jay dies, no one is there except Nick. Big parties, lots of people, but they are users. These parties, therefore, show the hollowness of the people.