How to handle というと in this sentence?


The following is an excerpt from a dialogue with my language partner. For some
context, I told her that I went to the restaurant with my girlfriend and her
family on christmas eve. She then replied the following:

> クリスマスイブの食事の話をおもしろく読みました。日本では、クリスマスイブディナーというと、恋人同士で行くイメージですね。

My attempt at translation:

> "I enjoyed reading your story about the christmas-eve-meal. In Japan, there
> is the impression that..."

So, I think that 恋人同士で行く is an attribute to イメージ which itself is part of the
sentences predicative via the copula です(ね). I think 恋人同士で行く means "To go as a
couple (literal: To go being a couple). My main issue is that I have little to
no idea how to connect that with クリスマスイブディナーというと.  
From my more recent questions, I've learned that という can put the two elements
on both sides into a "A = B" relationship. Then, whenever と isn't used as a
quotative or conditional particle, and when it also doesn't connect two nouns
like "ミラーさんと田中さんはもう帰りました。", my last idea would be the functionality of
"AとBは違います。" = "A differs from B".  
However, if the latter should be the case, then it really gives me a headache
how to integrate クリスマスイブディナーという and 恋人同士で行くイメージですね into each other, especially
since I also dont really know how to handle the direct succession of と to という.




As Leebo mentioned in the comment section, it's the conditional use of the
particle と.

Simply put, the pattern is "If A, then B", or A⟹B if you are more familiar
with logical expressions.

Here's a short example:

> 日本語{にほんご}で話{はな}すと人格{じんかく}が変{か}わる
>
> Whenever I speak Japanese, my personality changes.

Going back to your example "~というと" means "speaking of ~"

> 日本では、クリスマスイブディナーというと、恋人同士で行くイメージですね。
>
> Speaking of Christmas dinner, Japanese have the image of couples going out
> for dinner together.




As Leebo mentioned in the comment section, it's the conditional use of the
particle と.

Simply put, the pattern is "If A, then B", or A⟹B if you are more familiar
with logical expressions.

Here's a short example:

> 日本語{にほんご}で話{はな}すと人格{じんかく}が変{か}わる
>
> Whenever I speak Japanese, my personality changes.

Going back to your example "~というと" means "speaking of ~"

> 日本では、クリスマスイブディナーというと、恋人同士で行くイメージですね。
>
> Speaking of Christmas dinner, Japanese have the image of couples going out
> for dinner together.

