I've heard a story about a married couple (actress and actor/director), during their holiday, were hiking in the countryside and when they got hungry and saw some tables and benches they decided to sit in and asked for a lunch. When they finished and wanted to pay, it turned out it wasn't a restaurant, but a family house. And the country was... Italy.
I like how the dude from Sweden doesn't tries to deny his actions and thoughts and how everyone pointed to him as the least hospitable person among them
As a Mexicana, I gotta say that I’m absolutely shocked about this Swedengate thing. I was today years old when I found out about this and I can’t imagine it ever happening in a Mexican household 😅. Super interesting cultural video tho!
The hospitality thing is more of a Southern Europe thing. I wouldn't know how to rank Greeks, Italians, Spanish or Portuguese, as we all are very hospitable. Also, it depends on where in the country. I am Italian and the people of the North have a saying that goes " a guest is like a fish. After 3 days, he starts to stink". Southern Italy is on another level entirely. My family is from Sicily and in the island if the guest doesn't get out of the house rolling like a ball because of the food we have given you, we're not satisfied.
I lived in southern Europe I found that people put the bar so high that they end up inviting people twice a year. I prefer northern europe: frequent visits and an easy sandwich. It’s about the people after all, not the food.
I think it's more of a Catholic thing tbh, Southern Europe and Ireland are quite hospitable and they're the only majority catholic European countries. It really contrasts with the uptight protestant culture of the West and Scandinavia.
The Irish lady has completely sold me on Ireland! From what she says, the people are very welcoming and down to earth. Also, from this video, I can better understand why there were so many marriages between Irish and Italian people here in the states. Some of their cultural values are very similar😂 Btw Marina, I love this series! Please do more🥰
Honestly Irish people are really friendly. I can only go by the tourists in my city, but I noticed Irish people and ironically Swedish people too are actually really friendly. They’re always asking questions and are not as judgmental about their experience in the U.S. as the French or Italians are. Especially the Irish and Australians, they’re always curious and willing to vibe with whom ever welcomes them to any get together.
@@mimmiblu6138 I guess that's the point: it's the Catholic culture (Italy, Ireland, France), people who are taught at home and since birth that God loves all, that you have to share, christian charity, to be empathic, love your neighbor as yourself, etc,
@@mimmiblu6138 We are all told the same, of course, but Catholic countries usually are warmer and kinder to others, more empathic, than other Christian denominations. I wonder why our hospitality traditions are stronger, God knows why.
As an italian i don't think it's cool to shame on swedish culture like that. There's an actual reason behind it and cultural differences entail different perspectives, we must approach to it with maximum respect. Plus, as the girl from the Netherlands said, REGIONAL DIFFERENCES exist too. Things may change drastically weather you're in the south or north of Italy for example.
There's a reason why its looked down upon by everyone. Humans are hard wired to be social and make strong communities. Any behavior or culture that deviates from this will have far reaching negative consequences not only on an individual level but also on the society. Social cohesion is very much important for society to function properly.
@@Ghostrider-ul7xn what do you think of the problematic nature of impositions of values we're seeing worldwide? Don't you think this kind of "selfcentrism" should be minimized?
Want to add it’s not so common anymore like it was back in 60s - 90s. Thinks that every1 is overkilling this and should maybe do some more research before they start an opinion about it, everything that you can read on Swedengate you should take with a grain of salt😊
As a Turkish person I can relate to Italian guy Mediterranean countries are mostly similar to each other and we are very hospitable you can see this hospitality in every Mediterranean country Greece Italy France Spain Egypt Tunisia Lebanon and they are not a Mediterranean country but in Portugal to and you can see this behavior in Caucasus region and Balkans
@@svenradd1027 I am Turkish but I have green eyes I am white as hell and I have light brown hair but you are kind a right %70 of Mediterranean people's are like that not all but most of us
@@fabianpatrizio2865 well they are awesome people! Italians are adorned by everyone especially in Europe and both these countries have good looking people!
I have talked to friends who have visited Europe and they picked Ireland and Italy as the friendliest to strangers. France ranks low in friendliness in Paris, but as the French representative here said, once you get outside of that area, the French are very friendly to strangers. It helps to have children along in Italy - that seems to open doors that may otherwise not be opened for strangers. The biggest shock from my friends who visited Ireland is (1) the language, which includes a lot of cursing (a lot!) from an American perspective, and (2) the sense of humor they have, where once they get to know you, they insult you (in a good way), a shock for an American if you don't know that is their way of including you and bonding with you. As far as the Scandinavian countries go, they do a lot of things with friends, the problem for visitors is that they don't do things with strangers.
Yes in Ireland if someone is insulting you (in a playful way) after getting to know you it could be 'banter'. It means they think you're cool enough to take the slagging. My friends and I always take the piss out of each other.
As Chinese, I can relate to the Irish and Italian level of hospitality, as sharing food and feeding guests is also a big part of our culture! I was shocked about the Swedengate, it’s very interesting😂
It’s interesting how sometimes we have completely opposite interactions. I went to Sweden in 2019 to watch a band I like rehearse. They didn’t invite me. I asked if I travel there would I be able to watch it. Got there they were really nice to me we went out for lunch and they paid the lunch for me and one of the guys invited me for dinner at his home with his family. It was awesome.
That's because they probably felt a social obligation/debt had been created because you had spent so much of your own time and money to travel all the way over there that they had to show you a good time. The gesture itself of just doing something like that requires some kind of reciprocating gesture.
love how honest the Swede was being, and there's no good or bad really in culture.. if Swedes are restrained in hospitality maybe they're better with integrity... there are always reasonings, compensations and balance going on within a society/culture.. can't really judge cultural traits in isolation.. always have to consider fuller context
I agree wholeheartedly. The Sweden gate trend was over the top. Sweden is a high trust society with low corruption (atleast used to be!!), that's also part of their culture
That's not true, culture is not excempt from judgement and it can be bad. Like the female genital chop chop in Africa, is it cultural? Yes? Is it bad for the woman? Yes.
Spot on with integrity, swedes value it very highly. Good for introverts and for special cookies, not so good for extroverts and people who'd like everyone to adapt to a norm. P.s. swedengate was never a thing in my community, it's more common in middle/upper-class households and not so much for the people with lower socio-economic status.
6 years I lived in the Czech Republic where no one smiles in public (unless with your friends and families). From the countries Ive been to from travelling, I gotta say the Irish is up there at the top, most friendly and hospitable people Ive ever met. But I looooooved the scandinavians. Everyone keeps to themselves, quiet everywhere, people are polite and they are helpful when you ask for help.
I had a group of med students in my Airbnb in San José, Costa Rica. Once the hot tube broke. I came with the technical guy and the Irish guys made me sit down and had me drink coffee with them. That was the first time that a guest actually took time to hang out with me. They were surprisingly out going and talkative. Almost like in Latin America. I went to Ireland like 6 years ago and they were super nice there. I have a theory, based in mu latin background. When you come for countries with poverty and harsh times in the past, you really learn the importance, to lend a hand and be hospitable.
He didn't mention it but Sweden used to be one of the poorest nations in europe and the "Swedengate" culture developed during this time when people didn't even have enough food to feed themselves let alone their kids, that's why they didn't want to end up in debt to other families.
Many years ago I was on a cycling trip in Italy with a group of friends. Among those friends was a married couple who were celebrating their wedding anniversary. While in this small village, they learned that there was this small business the served private dinners in a home and they decided that they wanted to enjoy that for their celebration. They arranged a date and time and then proceeded to show up to the wrong house. It wasn't until they had finished their meal and tried to pay that they realized that they had gone to the wrong house! They were given a meal as complete strangers by this Italian family! I'd definitely say that Italians are hospitable!
As an example of the warmth and friendliness of Italians, the first time I visited we met many people in Amalfi. We were invited to their homes for lunch, dinner and other occasions. They would come and pick us up, take us places, etc. Fast forward 25 years and I still have those friends and more in subsequent visits. Very special. I've also had them visit me in the U.S. and returned their hospitality.
How I understood it as a kid (born and raised Swede). For me my parents wanted me home for dinner every night since that was family bonding time. Often my friends parents and my parents would call and discuss where the visiting kid would eat and often the result would be each at their own home. I think there are a couple of reasons for this: 1. It is getting late anyway, 2. Tend to cook exactly enough for the family (less waste but no room for additional portions). Swedes are planners, we plan, and execute according to plan. 3. Dinner time is family bonding time, 4. Cooking food for your kids is expressing love, and if your kid eats elsewhere parents feel hurt. If it had been arranged the day before or during the afternoon eating at a friends house was no issue at all for either family. So I think point (2) is the main point. Swedes like planning and control. Call it cold, disgusting or unfriendly if you want. But for me, it is just a part of my culture.
France is kinda similar except for number 2. But you'll never have a kid sitting by himself while the family eats. They're going to be sent back home to eat and maybe they'll come back after dinner to keep playing with their friend.
@@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643 I think it’s a misconception of what you define as hospitality. I lived in southern Europe and found that people put the bar so high that they end up inviting people twice a year. I prefer northern europe: frequent visits and an easy sandwich. It’s about the people after all, not the food. Plus elaborate meals make us uncomfortable, we know you don’t eat like this normally. It emphasises we’re not part of your family and sets the expectations high for us which is all, from our egalitarian culture, seen inhospitable. We want to blend in
I didn't realize that European countries would have such different ideas on dinner parties and hospitality! It was neat learning about their cultures and getting to compare them to each other, very fascinating stuff!
@@svenradd1027 There's no such thing as a "European social construct". It's a continent. Anyone who tries to treat Europe as a monolith is ignorant, simple as that
Since all the Celtic people are very hospitable and friendly I always wondered till a French guy told me it was because we were nomads and nomads have to be able to get to know and build trust with strangers regularly and being hospitable and friendly is a result of that. We are more friendly to strangers than our own and we are experts at knowing everything about everyone you don’t know by the end of a party.
I'm Scottish, so I know our Irish brethren well, but I live in Italy. So I would switch the Irish and the Italians. It's true that Italians will welcome you in and spontaneously whip something delicious up for you, but it is more about them receiving compliments for their food and joining them in disparaging your own cuisine (not true of every Italian obviously). The Irish don't judge and don't want to be judged. You could be gay, Muslim, African, trans, Asian or whatever and the Irish welcome would be the same. Unfortunately Italians hold a lot of prejudice against minorities. I'd also switch the French and Germans, perhaps just because I have more experience of German hospitality.
You're just a random lgbt who don't understand that some people outside you're group of friends with blue hair have traditions and culture, religion. Italy is the most beautiful country in the world by far just ask to google.
I'm from 🇦🇷 and I can definitely relate to the Italian guy! In our culture Sunday is family day and who's ever hosting that person will set up a spread plus the people coming usually show up with either food, beer or wine it just goes without saying! In our culture if you invite people over to your home and you don't offer them food, drinks or coffee it's considered rude! Either way cool and funny video!😂😂
As a brazilian I have to say that the whole latin originated cultures like ours in Latin America is very receptive with guests, we wouldn't never let a guest without food in our homes and if we have a family party we can invite others too. There is no problem.
As a kid growing up in sweden, it was often the other way around but for the same reason. I was actually asked many times if I wanted to stay for dinner at my friends house, but I said no. Not because i was not hungry, but because of the awkward sense of debt that would build up. But also I was expected to be home for dinner anyways, dinnertime was often considered the end of the playdate and the start of familytime.
We had our Irish neighbours over for a dinner party a few times and every time the husband of the couple starts singing folk songs. They are a very fun, warm people.
This has a lot to do with religion (Catholic vs Protestant). It surprised me how nobody brought that up. That’s why Italians, Irish and ultimately French are positioning on the “warmer” spectrum, and others as Protestants are on the “colder” side, so to speak. Side note: Of course there will be difference between a German from the catholic south vs the Lutheran north as well
I would add money. In poorer countries like the ones you mentioned it’s much more important to be seen as well off and generous. In rich countries money doesn’t enter into it. It’s more you should eat at home because it’s family time.
@@wilhelmh9495 not completely agree. In a less rich country, it's much more important to share meal with people, since those who share meal know what hunger feels like. In the less rich, people do that because they experience/know what hunger feels like, so you'll feel the warmth by sharing meal. In rich country where hunger is typically out of question, where you can buy food easily, sharing a meal would be rare since you can afford it. Besides, what Lorenzo said still true, Catholics tend to be community oriented, their basic tenet is mainly depicted from the church service, the Mass; especially breaking the bread where you share bread and wine. Thus you'll see the 'warmer' Italians/Irish and to some extend the French. The protestants meanwhile are more individuals, it's always about you and God as in Five Solae. However, despite the population being less religious these days, the population view's remain as it was.
@@wilhelmh9495 Italy is top 10 in every wealth category, NOT poor, even the south is richer than any Eastern European country and the poorest region nearly as rich as Spain's richest.
It's interesting: I was at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin this May, and every night, I was at the bar with fans from all over the world, with an obvious emphasis on Europe. And while people there were generally very nice, by FAR the two groups I got along with the best were the Irish and the Icelandic. (Also the Israelis and the Aussies but they're not technically in Europe, although they're a lot of fun and fit right in). The Irish will just welcome everyone into their group with open arms. The very first night I was there, a couple from Cork bought me a shot after we'd only been talking for like two minutes. The Icelanders, meanwhile, very much lived up to the stereotype that people from Nordic countries are much less reserved when drunk, because they were a GAS and we shot the shit for like two hours. They're hilarious. As a New Yorker, those were the sensibilities I got along with the best. (And, of course, Italy is an incredibly hospitable country and Turin in particular is a big bear hug of a city, cannot recommend it enough).
As a Mexican, I really relate to the French guy talking about lots of parties & kids sleeping on the chairs because parties are going late. Hell, as an adult I'm hardly phased by the neighbors parties at 3am because I was trained to sleep through it as a child 😂😂😂
I'm Portuguese and I remember one time as a kid I visited my Irish friends house and his parents gave me so much food there. It was very good too👍 So I can confirm what the Irish lady is saying
I’m from Iran and I see a lot of similarities between Italian and Iranian culture I’ve never been to Italy but I have seen some of them in Persepolis and Shiraz they were really friendly and warm people I would love to visit Italy one day love Italy from Iran 🇮🇷❤️🇮🇹
@@mohammadsheibani5635 Grazie Mille. All Iranians I have met throughout my life have been very warm, sociable people and would love to visit your country 1 day
Sweden sounds great! So...you're telling me I can live in a country where people leave me alone and I'm not obligated to speak with them? Therefore just live in peace without judgement?
Sounds more like they do it upside down for no reason. Either the kid gets picked up before or he eats with the host and they are in debt forever cuz they fucked up by not picking him up on time or whatever. But than they suddenly become super hosts when its about meeting some friends?! Wouldnt it make more sense to dial it back there - specially if you dont like to be in debts? Order some food instead or do a BBQ and everyone brings their own meat/beer (the costs get shared). So it would be a bit of cleaning/preparing vs "traveling" there. And it wouldnt matter much if you are host or visitor as both have their perks.
For me it's Italy and also i think that people from italy are one of the most friendly in the world , even though i've n never been there i asked to people from my family who went to Italy and they said that's true
I've been to Ireland and Italy - think it is unfair that the Irish lady had to switch places - Italian people are also great and very welcoming, but I have never experienced the hospitality the Irish have anywhere else in the world - you walk in a local pub and it's like you returned to your family. But of course Italians cook better - but this should then be a different ranking!
Yes I agree as an Italian that has spent a bit of time in Ireland. They are quite nice. They are surely hospitable but surely they did not had the chance yet to show it to the world to gain that reputation. Indeed, if it about hospitality only, I would go for Ireland as well even if I know little. Not everyone likes tourists in Italy at all.
Being Italian i can say that we don't do it for hospitality but to impress the others, we're always afraid of what others thinking and afraid to do not meet expectations.....
this is a great point Young Siffridi and something that should be factored into our perspectives about these cultures. I was thinking this about Asian cultures - its not always out of the goodness of their hearts, but rather the pressure to meet social expectations and be seen as good, polite, 'upstanding' people.
I went to Sweden twice in high school touring w my singing group. We stayed in host homes. The families were welcoming but quite subdued and maybe a bit shocked our American outgoing nature.
One thing that frequently gets overlooked when talking about the relative hospitalities of countries, is climate and soil fertility Italians and Mediterranean countries can be more hospitable because they can grow more food more often, and the weather is nearly always favorable for spontaneous strolls and excursions Up in Scandinavia, it's dark half the year, and frigid, and for lack of volcanoes replenishing the soil with nutrients and less sunshine, there's less food availability - and up until the early 1900s, you could only go out for spontaneous visits for maybe 3 months out of the year without risking frostbite or adverse weather conditions that could land you stuck in mud miles from home. So Swedes just went out less and had less to share for a majority of their history My family is from Norrland, and while I've found folks in Stockholm to be a bit chattier and more sociable than folks in the village up north, it's still very much like western Washington state there, across the whole country. I don't feel it as much as folks from sunnier climates do because I already live in the middle of the Seattle Freeze, so Sweden feels more like home than home, a lot of the time. But I really notice it when I interact with recent immigrants, or venture to other countries in Europe I've worked in Georgia, and Georgians are by far *the* most hospitable, friendly, and social people I have ever encountered anywhere. Their climate is warmer, and their proximity to a bunch of volcanoes + tons of silt runoff from alpine glaciers means their soil is regularly replenished with nutrients, so it makes perfect sense that they're so inviting I miss Georgia almost every day
Hahahaha Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal are almost one country with four different languages!😂😂😂 The four should become one country that would be one amazing nation!😂😂😂 love to all four from 🇦🇷!😉👍
Your wonderful posts and wonderful photos really attract me but I am not a friend. I tried to send you a friend request but didn't work. You can send me a friend request if you don't mind. Cheat on a dirty friend, I want to know you better. I hope to see you mature my friend thanks.
I'm Italian and I have a house in a village near the border with France with a lot of foreign tourists: I normally throw parties on my terrace and sometimes I just count up to 8 nationalities there, including many Scandinavians. I've never been invited back from them: everybody else has always made sure they offer me something in exchange, but not Scandinavians. But I still like them: they're friendly and great conversationalists after some good Rossese (the local red wine)
If it's something that you think bothers you, be honest about it. A typical Swede value honesty, even if that comes in the form of constructive criticism. I think the answer to it is pretty simple, really. They haven't thought about it. I don't think they're avoiding you or excluding you. Spontaneity isn't exactly a Swedish trait. Planned events, how ever ... :)
@@bjoardar no, I simply don't care... I will never ever tell someone to invite me to their house. After all think about it: I am in my own country, I will not change my habits to accomodate foreigners. I am not the one who has to accept local customs... I certainly did when I lived abroad, but not in my own country. If my Scandinavian neighbours think about it themselves, great, if they don't fine, too. But this is the difference between becoming friends or just being neighbours. Hospitality and spontaneity cannot be taught, but if you don't have them, you'll simply not become my friend. Not a big deal after all. And no, I will not be honest with my expectations... I am not Swedish and I am not used to using "constructive criticism" with people I do not know well. I just notice things and keep them for myself, if an invitation does not come after they've been to my place 3 times, I'll just stop inviting them: I am not a restaurant after all! 😉
@@mimmiblu6138 That's fair. I was simply offering you my thoughts on the matter and a suggestion if you considered it a problem. The thing about Nordics is that we don't "read the room" or try to guess what you think. Communication with us works best with openness, so I'm not sure they'll understand the message if you simply "ghost" them. Anyways, that's just what I think. Feel free to ignore what I've said or take it under consideration, which ever you prefer, but from your comments I will have to assume that introverted Nordics are perhaps not the most enjoyable company for you? Of course, no group of people is a monolith. There are extroverted Nordics as well :)
@@bjoardar my comment was old btw, in September we went to the restaurant with a Norwegian family we really like and they... paid for everybody. As you said every individual is different and we really found each other interesting, so we both went the extra mile in understanding each other and accomodating for the cultural differences. (Also they said that they were a bit intimidated by my husband's culinary skills, so they opted for a restaurant. Makes sense, doesn't it?!)
As an italian that likes sweden, I knew about the "least hospitable" stuff but not the kid part. I was very saddened by that. However Peter explained it in a matter that I found kinda sweet and that makes sense, especially considering the place where abundance of food was a luxury (is still a freezing cold place not suited for agriculture like the mediterranean area). However in the past also southern europe had the same problem but tied to poverty. In the north the approach is try to survive as long as possible for your close ones, in the south is feast when you can because you could die tomorrow. Different approaches to life, both correct in their own ways. I feel like nordics could throw big parties but they are afraid of letting you down or making you feel uncomfortable because you can't do the same as them. It's thoughtful in preserving your image I believe
for the swedengate thing... as a swede i've def been left in the room of my friends when younger!! But i also want to add that there's often an option. they ask you if you actually want to eat with them or not and often me and my friends would decline dinner at the friend's place, due to family dinners with your own family being such a big thing. also depended on what food they were serving ofc no one would decline or be left out of tacos!! Tho honestly my friends usually would decline my dad's cooking bc it was too spicy for them 💀
Im not from sweden but same. Sometimes i waited in my friend's room while they ate dinner because my parents would haved killed me if i had eaten dinner elsewhere than home
@@AF-tc9gr ????? Why, were they afraid your friend's parents may poison you? LAtino people can't understand this point of view: a guest is a guest and you treat him well period.
@@amiquigonzales7917 no, not at all. it's not a question of hospitality. We offer food, of course we do. We just always ask if they want some. If they do, of course, come sit with the family, have as much as you want and more. But sometimes they don't and it's more comfortable for them to wait it the room. We don't force anything upon our guests (unless there is a grandmother, you can't decline her food xd) I personally decline because my family eats together every evening and i want to eat with them. Dinner is a family time, the only time we get to be together, so i can't and don't want to just toss it away. I can't really speak for all my friends tho because my family is not from the country we live in, but the one i talked to about it agreed on this
@@AF-tc9gr Well, if you can eat twice that's wonderful, you are a lucky person. I can eat twice, maybe not all the supper or lunch but certainly part of it. Let alone boys or young men, they can eat everything. The thing is being together, interact, update and laugh, that's the point of having food with your family. And if another family is so kind as to want to share with you their food and their time, you just accept humbly the privilege. That is generally our point of view. And there is something about God being generous to you, you don't lack food: there are some people on the planet who can't say the same-
@@amiquigonzales7917 i don't eat much in the evening, so one dinner is enough, but you are right, I'm lucky and I'll remeber it next time friend's family offers me food :) I understand your point of view and i think it's beautiful, really. I just wanted to share ours and explain a bit why we do what we and that it doesn't come from a place of malice.
As a Swede, I would think that the step from a stranger to a friend can probably feel monumental to someone not from the Nordic region. How ever ... ... the step from a friend to a close friend is very easy. It's the entry level that is hard, but when you've made a Swedish friend, you have a friend for life.
In holland, when i was a kid and played at a friend, the parents of the friend would say: we gonna eat. The meaning of this sentence means: you have to go home. If you wanted to eat, than you had to plan that, so they had enough food. It is really normal over here. #TrueStory If you are interested in the dutch hospitality. In this video "famous" dutch people are talking about the dutch hospitality. For me as a dutchie very familiar🤣😅 ua-cam.com/video/N765_r_iddU/v-deo.html
I'm dutch speaking but I could not never adhere to this culture. I've always found it backwards. When guests come over, you offer food, plain and simple. How can a grown adult feel good about themselves after secluding their child's friend in a room whilst the whole family is eating in the dining room? Or sending the child home to avoid feeding them? Ffs.
And if u woulf stay for dinner tghe parents would send the other a tikkie in advance. This is complete bullshit ofcourse bit it would def defeat Sweden in this case if it where to be true XD
Oh man that is so sad and disrespecfull , as a meditranean country If a Dutch family would say something like that to me, my parents would definitely not allow me to even play with their children.
Us swedes finds it normal. Eating dinner together as a family is a really important thing here. I used to stay at friends' houses after school every single day, imagine if I always ate at their places, then I would have never ate dinner at home with my family? or do you guys eat 2 dinners? It's just the way it is here and we don't find it strange. But of course I have eaten food at other's houses, and especially breakfast if I stayed over!
@@Србомбоница86 how is it horrible? No kid is told ”you can’t eat here”. If it’s a spontanous visit, the kids’ parents always have a dialogue about dinner because it would be rude to feed the kid guest if they are expected to have dinner when they get home
@@Србомбоница86 I am born and raised on Sweden and I agree that this the strangest and coldest thing to do. To actually let a child sit in a room while you and your family eat is crazy.
I'd love to see a video comparing Australia / New Zealand / UK/ US with European cultures, since a large proportion of the population has European ancestry but have developed their own cultures.
@@trancemadmaz I will admit, when I went to Australia, the most welcoming people there were from NZ. To be fair it was close but I swear every person from NZ was always inviting me somewhere with them. The rudest people I met over there were actually in Sydney. For the record, they were still nicer than many people where I live in California, lol.
@@byronsmith3152 Yea I had a similar experience in Oz. The Kiwi's I met there were very freindly warm, and humble people but in NZ I found that to be the case even more so. I have a lot of love for that country 🇳🇿
@@LiyahRochelle I've never been to Canada but their friendliness comes across as a bit disingenuous from my experience. NZ'ers are far more sincere and genuine compared to Canadians imho.
The Irish woman made me think of "Jewish mother" stereotypes. It made me think the Irish like to play pranks when making food for guests. I am guessing Ms. O'Flaherty would serve anchovy pizza for her next dish if you liked the liver and onions. The Swedish sound smart for not wanting to be in debt. People have a funny idea of what "hospitable" is.
As an Irishman 🇮🇪 who in my 20s lived in France 🇫🇷, Germany 🇩🇪, Belgium 🇧🇪 and Italy 🇮🇹, I really enjoyed this video. I’ve also travelled in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 and Sweden 🇸🇪 before, so I could relate to what each were saying. Basically, for food, it has to be Italy 🇮🇹, with Greece 🇬🇷 and Spain 🇪🇸 coming next. I believe the Portuguese 🇵🇹 are also good at that, but I’ve only been to their country once. I visited Stockholm 🇸🇪 when I was living in Turin 🇮🇹, and I found the cultural difference very stark. That said, having attractive, blonde women approach you in a bar and be very up front, made a pleasant change. It was much harder to meet and chat to single Italian girls socially. Whereas the Nordics really do let their hair down after a few drinks. The Frenchman 🇫🇷 was on the money that outside Paris they are much warmer and friendlier, and great fun. But it really helps if you speak French. Don’t just assume that they will speak English to you. That will not end well. Parisians do indeed give off the worst impression of their country. I studied in Lille in the north where that man is from. The culture there is quite similar to Flemish (Belgian 🇧🇪) culture and great fun. More beer and chips culture than wine and cheese which you’d get in the south. The Germans 🇩🇪 are actually very hospitable and make great friends for life, like the lady said. The stereotype about them being cold is way off the mark. As for us Irish ☘️, our social culture does indeed revolve around drink, in the way that Mediterranean culture revolves around food. I gravitate towards fellow Europeans who like the craic and the banter, so I always had many friends from Spain 🇪🇸 and Denmark 🇩🇰 (the Latins of the North). I guess I just really like hospitality and warm people. That’s why I now live in Guadalajara, Mexico 🇲🇽 ! Plus it’s nice to pick up new languages. I now speak fluent French, German, Italian and Spanish, in addition to my mother tongue, English. My Irish is only pidgin alas. 😕 So get travelling, people. It’s fun discovering which stereotypes are true and which are myths!
@Gavin Doyle🍀 This was very comprehensive !🤯 And I love all the flag emojis and stuff (I do that too....most of the time too much, according to my friends!😅😖) I'm ASEAN so I ABSOLUTELY agree with the whole preference for warm relationships ! I envy you ! You're living my dream ! Someday, I'll reach mine too, I just know it ! It's my main motivation for studying a multitude of world languages ! ✨🌟🌍 🌟✨
Just want to say that they are a little happy to draw all Swedes under the same framework. It was not like that in all Swedish homes. sure they were a bit more common in the 90s and early 2000s. For example, my mother always asked my friends if they wanted to eat. and sometimes they wanted to and sometimes not but it were up to themselves. so not all Swedes are like that..
@Mikael don't you worry, a lot of people know that there is variety everywhere. Already in the same family you probably have people having different ideas. 😊 Greetings from Italy
Fascinating insights. Honestly kind of glad to see France get a little bit of credit, since they often get called "rude" (unfairly, in my opinion). Also, I suspect this ranking mirrors their introvert / extrovert cultural norms.
Your wonderful posts and wonderful photos really attract me but I am not a friend. I tried to send you a friend request but didn't work. You can send me a friend request if you don't mind. Cheat on a dirty friend, I want to know you better. I hope to see you mature my friend thanks.
While I can understand the Swede’s reasoning, it is still odd to me. I grew up in a Portuguese family so I was nodding with the Italian 😀 No matter if there is a feast or simple/humble food, we offer food, beverage, and spend time with guests. If a table seats 4 and there are 5 people, we will make 5 place settings and seats. My parents would often invite the hired contractors to have lunch/dinner with our family 😂 and some of them were surprised but were happy to accept.
yea but you obviously cant understand a foreign culture by comparing it to your own, youd have to live in sweden a whole life and know about old history and how society was shaped when we were starving and very poor, how things have been organized through centuries, culture and social things, its ofcourse a complex soup of etnological and antrologic history and ancient social structures which shapes the mindset through generations
@@audhumbla6927 italy was a poor country too, pasta literally was and is the cheapest thing to make and some family would and do it both as lunch and dinner.
@@sofypi7493 food was till without doubt more accessible in Italy in comparison to Sweden back in history. Sweden has a much colder climate and therefore not as many options.
I'm from northeast of Brazil and my grandmother says "you don't ask if a guest wants something, you just put it (food or drinks) and serve it straight away". According to her who asks don't want to give. Sou do Nordeste do Brasil e minha avó diz logo "você não pergunta se uma visita quer comer/beber, você serve logo". Segundo ela, quem pergunta não quer dar.
Interesting to see, that countries from the north(germany, whole scandinavia etc) that are considered to be not hospitable, friendly and cold but are on the other hand very liberal regarding their politics, sexuality, equality rights and social standards if you compare it to countries from the south( greece, italy) that tend to have more extreme positions when it comes to their governments, but are considered to be warm and welcoming.
Really interesting point. it is almost as if the state provides a warm blanket in Germany and Scandinavia and in Italy the responsibility falls on the people. Saying that I think Ireland have quite progressive politics...I could be wrong.
Spain and Portugal are actually incredibly liberal, and actually in some cases like drugs use (Portugal especially) and LGTB+ rights and societal acceptance of homosexuality and transexuality (Spain particularly) they are actually even more liberal than most Northern countries except perhaps the Netherlands, Belgium or Sweden.
As a Swede I like how the Swedish guy not only admits that yeah, Swedish people aren't the most hospitable bunch, but also tries to explains the reasons and the cultural nuances that makes it so. Swedish people are quite polite, and there is a massive emphasis on not being a nuisance to others, but sadly we really aren't very hospitable or "nice" as compared to other countries. Just like with every cultural practice though, there is a reason why things are the way the are. There's no denying that we generally do not have the same "warmth" and friendliness that other countries have, and I do hope that will change. It's not because we are evil or anything, we're just... weird.
I am a viking enthusiast, do you think it's because of them? They were always cold and hungry. That mentality of not sharing probably passed down... ???
Why do you think swedes have to change. Is it worth it if you compromise other positive attributes of your culture (such as not being a nuisance to others as you mentioned) to be 'perceived' by other cultures, or on social media as warm and hospitable ? I am not a swede, not even from Europe.
I had a Swede go on a rant to me about immigrants/migrants ruining their country… I know that he doesn’t represent the whole of Sweden. But honestly, the impression I get from Swedes (most of Scandinavia tbh) is that they are not welcoming of outsiders, they don’t want outsiders in their country. And I don’t go places where I’m not welcome. I’m an introvert, but I’d rather spare myself being ostracized and judged by people that don’t even want me in their country in the first place.
@@honey_seeker2353 their environment probably like cold and dark. It’s like staying all day indoors. Less vitamin d less serotonin less energy less friendliness.
Love the Italians but the Irish are the most hospitable, they just know how to treat a guest. They radiate friendliness everywhere and anywhere. The Italians can keep the best food award though 😉
Swede here born '92. Regarding the Swedengate thing, I'm fairly certain the main reason for it is the fact that most Swedish parents would expect you to get home to have family dinner. I have never heard the point about debts that Peter was talking about in the video, but I'm sure that happens aswell. My parents ALWAYS expected me to be hungry when I got home after hanging out with friends, and I most definitely had to tell my parents beforehand if I had dinner at a friends house (OR ELSE MY PARENTS MIGHT COOK TOO MUCH FOOD FOR THE DAY!!! AHHHH the horror)
Having been around the French countryside in Bordeaux, Perigord and Burgundy, I found the people to be very genuine and very friendly. They were very welcoming to our young children. At the end of the day they are Latins and they enjoy a good time with friends and family.
Friendly means offer you some cookies 🍪 but like no French person unless they are one upping another Frenchmen will in their right mind offer a few nights rest and then offer other than a croissant and coffee.
@@charles1413 my point exactly Europe is most certainly a melting pot. European breakfast is what? It’s aight. Least of things, it is familiar with is generosity, come to America, please. Serving sizes are different and drink sizes are far more gargantuan. Than standardization of everything European. America does everything to the extreme & I wouldn’t have it any other way, k 🤕😵💫🤐
I think all Europe is wonderful. Many different countries with their culture, art, history, landskapes, food... We are lucky for living in this Continent. 🇮🇹😘
Not eating dinner as a child at a friend's place is not 100% in Sweden, but it is probably around 50%. It was mostly when you decided to go home with a friend from school, which already pulls limits of Swedish social spontaneity, also eating there was often a bridge too far. Often though, you would be asked if you would eat when you got home, and most of the time you would, since parents would not want to inconvenience each other. So it is partially a consequence of the non-spontaneitous and planning-heavy parts of our culture. Having someone else eat dinner with a family is also seen as a bit of a break in social borders, and that needs preparation. It was rarely a case of: "You are not allowed to eat dinner with us." And more of a case of: "You are going to eat at home, right?". Of course, the answer would be yes since, who does not get fed at home? And often, when the friend's parents said: "We are going to eat soon." it meant that you really ought to go home now, in most cases.
Saying to someone "you are going to eat at home, right?" is exactly the same as telling someone "you are not allowed to have dinner with us" . It's not like someone would respond "no, I will stay and eat your food, smells so good".
@@MsMinoula Not exactly the same, since if your answer was in the negative, as awkward as it would be, you would most probably not be denied food. One is an active denial of food, implying that you are forbidden from actually eating, the other is a cultural presumption that you and your family will want you to eat with them, rather than with us.
All of their culture comes down to history, Ireland had a famine so when it ended, people started to feed each other to make sure it wouldn’t happen again, the famine has been long gone but people still feed each other because the practice stayed even after the famine. In Sweden, people are a lot more reserve, so they only feed you if you were formally invited, I understand. It’s interesting to see the difference in cultures despite being in the same continent. Cheers to Europe! 🇪🇺
Marina, your videos never disappoint. This one was a lot of fun to watch (especially the LOTR reference), and your imaginative ideas always feel integral to everything that has come before. This is true art! :)
This is when being Latino and Italian is a plus. My dad is Argentinian and my mom is Cuban. I come from Italian background but our Latino culture is super warm. Ironically my mom’s side of the family is more hospitable, Cubans tend to be SUPER hospitable. My dad’s family is to an extent, but not as much as my mom’s family. However, it’s this nice warm comfortable feeling and it leaves you feeling like you wanna enjoy that moment much longer. The food, the laughter, conversations, the love is felt. This is why I love Italians, they’re very similar to our culture and I can see my family getting along well with them.
I live in the Netherlands and I agree on the final ranking. The Swedish guy's explanation about "don't want to be indebted" is interesting, though. However, I would never do that. If I have guests coming to my house and if I'm cooking dinner, rest assured they will eat too. I guess that's the Indonesian root in me, we will always put guests first and offer everything on the table to make them feel like home.
I am from Italy and have been living in Germany for two years now. honestly, Germans are very hospitable and most of all are very very spontaneous, so whenever they invite you over most of the time it can not even be planned out thoroughly but either way, it is always lovely and you are treated as one of the family. If you get invited more formally it is always nice to bring something over (food e/o drinks) and help always your host clean up, maybe in Italy the host says that they do it later, Germans are much more efficient! I don´t feel too much different from home, and I don´t get why they say they are cold, they take their time to know you and warm up but once they do, you are family!
Swedish here! I don't remember that swedegate had anything to do with money but it was about the Guest family not wanting to take away the opportunity for the family to sit down together to eat with their family when the kid came home from his friend on a weekday evening one of the few possibilities to ask how the day at school was and so on. on weekends you were always invited to dinner. with that said, I think this was more common in the early 90s-80s-70s. because I only have memories of it when it comes to neighbors who live 5 minutes from home and only on weekdays after school
Italy has a thousands years old history with tourism. Literally. Not being hospitable was one of the worst things both in pre-Christianism and Christianism. It is very well rooted.
Geemany north of Hamburg = Denmark = Sweden = Norway = Finland ... pretty similar, spontaneously inviting someone over is unusual and asking spontaneously is rude, too, since no one could prepare. When meeting people at their homes for eating purposes it is way more enjoyable imo, it is prepared and you do not need to give sth back, no guilt and no stress (have been to 100+ countries) - it is all nice in its own ways, but coming from pretty north of Europe often results in not wanting to be spontaneously invited and feeling awkward sometimes
"Swedengate" is a very common thing in the Netherlands as well. I've spent many hours in my friends' rooms around 17h (yes, that's time for supper for some sick reason).
It's not necessarily my cup of tea either, but I can understand earlier dinners in households where people tend to work early though. If you have to get up at 5 AM to get to work, you're obviously starting to fancy dinner around 5 PM. Swedengate in itself is a bit of a mixed bag for me and where I grew up (Amsterdam). In some households you'd better be gone by 6 PM alright, but in other households it was basically an insult if you didn't feel sick from all the food you had to eat. :D
@@jdjphotographynl True! Maybe it’s a bit different in Groningen. Although old people here tend to have dinner around 12 in the afternoon😁 It happened to me as a child once or twice though that I got the feeling that they wanted me gone at dinnertime. Swedengate is next level. Pretty funny though. Did you actually have to be in a separate room?
@@housefox92 Neah, I luckily never had to experience that I was somewhere where the family were going to eat and I couldn't get anything. Mostly because I have experienced a few of those: "Well, well, look at the time..." remarks when it got close to 6 PM, and I got the hint. :)
@@housefox92 It also helped that I often preferred to eat at home anyway. The perks of having a mom that did most of the cooking, and she did that well. :D
I'm half greek half Austrian but I've also lived in Ireland for half a year. Irish are wonderful people. Greeks love to invite people all the time and Austrians too.
I’ve been to these countries (except Ireland and Netherlands) and what they said is so true. Except for Italians I feel like it doesn’t happen as often with strangers. They were quite rude in the north part actually. French people in Paris too are rude. Germans just mind their own business. And Swedish people do too. But being less hospitable doesn’t make them any less friendly. Germans and Swedes are very friendly people.
Well this video was a culture shock and eye opener. As an African, we are more likely to act like the Italians and Irish. However, i would not say one culture is better than the other, it's just how it is. Thanks for the video
The Irish girl was annoying. I lived in IRL for 5 years. People are certainly outgoing, but I wouldn't call them hospitable. Everything revolves around pubs, pubs, pubs. People don't really meet at each other's homes. Local cuisine is pretty bad anyway!
This how I remembered it as a child in the 90s. I was always offered food but stayed in the room of the child I was visiting if I 1, had already eaten at home 2, was going to eat after I had played. If it was planned that I was going to eat with the kids family that was always offered. People had different dinner time. And if my mum was expecting me to eat at home I wouldn’t come home already full as in Sweden we eat together as a family around the table and connect. (The parents didn't see the kids that much during the weekdays so during the dinner time you hang out with your family). I don't have any kids but when I did I would ofc offer the Childs friend some food if the Childs parents said it was okay for them to miss dinner at home.
The Swedish example here is only applicable to a small part of the country (Southern big cities) so it is very biased. Northern and small town Sweden is hospitable and will invite complete strangers inside. We also have big public BBQs with activities. No fancy expensive food or tiring planning.
"Small part of the country" -> "Souther big cities". You are aware of that like 85% of the population live in the south right? When talking about Sweden as a country then you will talk about how most people are, not the few thousands that live in the north.
@@Mrsuperdestroyer 85% do not live in far south big cities. In just Norrland it's 1.2 million. If you look at small towns/ country southern probably another 2-3 mil. Norrland is also 60% of the country, more relevant than ex Malmo which is what? 0.2%?
@@Alice-kq8eo Norrland is 10% of the population yes, that makes it 90% that lives in the south. the Norrland definition that has 10% of the population also include Gästrikland, which honestly I wouldn't really count and most in the actual north would not either. 85% of Sweden's population lives in urban areas. I added up just the top 10 cities in Sweden and got to 5.35 million people. The absolute majority live in southern cities and you saying Norrland got a lot of forest area doesn't change this.
@@Mrsuperdestroyer Which is why I said north AND **south rural/small town** 85% live in tätort, which means high population/sqkm (ex a village), it does not mean big city. So half the population lives there, 5 million Is bit more than "few thousand". Besides cities like sthlm have nothing Swedish about them, they're continental no different from any other EU capital. Swedish culture is in small towns, not sthlm. It's like saying NYC represents US
Where im from Finland its a bit two edged sword, eastern parts of Finland its very same level with italy and ireland and beside in west its more like sweden. North and south its kind of mixed. But in general, we just need a couple portions of alc% and than we talk everything! 😂
I’m flabbergasted to say the least. In Indonesia we have a saying that guests are kings, so it’s natural to go above and beyond to welcome people in our home, we’d literally give up our bed and be in debt to throw you a feast. Traveling all over Southeast Asia, I’ve found most of the countries are similar in that sense. Well, not so much in more well off countries like Malaysia and Singapore, but I’ve experienced the best hospitality from countries like Vietnam and Philippines, something which foreigners can expect in Indonesia as well.
The Sweden thing happened to me as a kid and teen only it went a step further and I was either sent home to my own house or sent outside until I was invited back if I was. In America (from my experience) if you wanted to eat a friends house you have to be invited and the parents had to like each other, coordinate and often times pay the host for your kids meal. I am definitely more like Sweden now or at least I would be if i did have guest over. I used to be like Ireland/Italy but I change that after people stopped coming or appreciating it. I was like Germany for my birthdays but stopped doing that as well. Americans do potlucks where everyone brings something(expected) either made or bought. Portland, Oregon USA is Irish for dinner parties.
I've heard a story about a married couple (actress and actor/director), during their holiday, were hiking in the countryside and when they got hungry and saw some tables and benches they decided to sit in and asked for a lunch. When they finished and wanted to pay, it turned out it wasn't a restaurant, but a family house. And the country was...
Italy.
Amaziiing
That's hilarious 😂
mamma mia i ragazzi hanno mangiato senza pagare
@@Mondoshawnin morrocco we love to be the one feeding other
I like how the dude from Sweden doesn't tries to deny his actions and thoughts and how everyone pointed to him as the least hospitable person among them
He's such a sweet Swede!
@@JRspeaking yeah he's sweet
@@chrystianaw8256 and the best looking 😜
Why lie? I am Swedish and he is spot on, to be in debt is just no-no. If I get a lot I do want to be able to give back.
@@PMMagro thats just a silly excuse for being stingy and impolite.
As a Mexicana, I gotta say that I’m absolutely shocked about this Swedengate thing. I was today years old when I found out about this and I can’t imagine it ever happening in a Mexican household 😅. Super interesting cultural video tho!
The swedish attitude seems so cold, unfriendly, unhospitable and stingy from a latinamerican point of view.
The hospitality thing is more of a Southern Europe thing. I wouldn't know how to rank Greeks, Italians, Spanish or Portuguese, as we all are very hospitable. Also, it depends on where in the country. I am Italian and the people of the North have a saying that goes " a guest is like a fish. After 3 days, he starts to stink". Southern Italy is on another level entirely. My family is from Sicily and in the island if the guest doesn't get out of the house rolling like a ball because of the food we have given you, we're not satisfied.
As a male I've barely met any hospitality in southern europe apart from Greece.
Germany and Ireland have been friendly.
I lived in southern Europe I found that people put the bar so high that they end up inviting people twice a year. I prefer northern europe: frequent visits and an easy sandwich. It’s about the people after all, not the food.
you most certainly do not have the monopoly on hospitality. its a worldwide thing, some people are, some people arent
I think it's more of a Catholic thing tbh, Southern Europe and Ireland are quite hospitable and they're the only majority catholic European countries. It really contrasts with the uptight protestant culture of the West and Scandinavia.
@@h0eera.115 The west and North became more atheist over the last decades.
The Irish lady has completely sold me on Ireland! From what she says, the people are very welcoming and down to earth. Also, from this video, I can better understand why there were so many marriages between Irish and Italian people here in the states. Some of their cultural values are very similar😂 Btw Marina, I love this series! Please do more🥰
We both come from Catholic countries, too
Honestly Irish people are really friendly. I can only go by the tourists in my city, but I noticed Irish people and ironically Swedish people too are actually really friendly. They’re always asking questions and are not as judgmental about their experience in the U.S. as the French or Italians are. Especially the Irish and Australians, they’re always curious and willing to vibe with whom ever welcomes them to any get together.
@@mimmiblu6138 I guess that's the point: it's the Catholic culture (Italy, Ireland, France), people who are taught at home and since birth that God loves all, that you have to share, christian charity, to be empathic, love your neighbor as yourself, etc,
@@amiquigonzales7917 yes, but isn't it the same for all Christian denominations? Aren't we all told that God is love and acceptance?
@@mimmiblu6138 We are all told the same, of course, but Catholic countries usually are warmer and kinder to others, more empathic, than other Christian denominations. I wonder why our hospitality traditions are stronger, God knows why.
i like how they pointed to the italian 🇮🇹as the best hospitable and the swede 🇸🇪 as the least hospitable
I liked that you liked that.
very perspicatious of you to observe that.
I like your opinion lol
Italians are so rude
Wonderful observation
As an italian i don't think it's cool to shame on swedish culture like that. There's an actual reason behind it and cultural differences entail different perspectives, we must approach to it with maximum respect. Plus, as the girl from the Netherlands said, REGIONAL DIFFERENCES exist too. Things may change drastically weather you're in the south or north of Italy for example.
🙄
There's a reason why its looked down upon by everyone. Humans are hard wired to be social and make strong communities. Any behavior or culture that deviates from this will have far reaching negative consequences not only on an individual level but also on the society. Social cohesion is very much important for society to function properly.
@@Ghostrider-ul7xn true
@@Ghostrider-ul7xn what do you think of the problematic nature of impositions of values we're seeing worldwide? Don't you think this kind of "selfcentrism" should be minimized?
Want to add it’s not so common anymore like it was back in 60s - 90s. Thinks that every1 is overkilling this and should maybe do some more research before they start an opinion about it, everything that you can read on Swedengate you should take with a grain of salt😊
As a Turkish person I can relate to Italian guy Mediterranean countries are mostly similar to each other and we are very hospitable you can see this hospitality in every Mediterranean country Greece Italy France Spain Egypt Tunisia Lebanon and they are not a Mediterranean country but in Portugal to and you can see this behavior in Caucasus region and Balkans
My wife and I have vacationed in Turkey. Such hospitality!
@@roymaddocks3184 I am happy that you enjoyed it
Basically mediterranean, Dark haired , tanned peoples (I know stereotype but has a bit of truth)
@@svenradd1027 I am Turkish but I have green eyes I am white as hell and I have light brown hair but you are kind a right %70 of Mediterranean people's are like that not all but most of us
@@capeverdeanprincess4444 I mean it's not a Mediterranean country but it doesn't have any difference from other Mediterranean countries
Irish and Italians are very friendly!
no wonder they often get together as couples (I'm one of them!) 🙂
@@fabianpatrizio2865 well they are awesome people! Italians are adorned by everyone especially in Europe and both these countries have good looking people!
Italians are so rude and try to rip you off and overcharge you
@@fabianpatrizio2865 No,in Europe it's rare,only in USA is common
I have talked to friends who have visited Europe and they picked Ireland and Italy as the friendliest to strangers. France ranks low in friendliness in Paris, but as the French representative here said, once you get outside of that area, the French are very friendly to strangers. It helps to have children along in Italy - that seems to open doors that may otherwise not be opened for strangers. The biggest shock from my friends who visited Ireland is (1) the language, which includes a lot of cursing (a lot!) from an American perspective, and (2) the sense of humor they have, where once they get to know you, they insult you (in a good way), a shock for an American if you don't know that is their way of including you and bonding with you. As far as the Scandinavian countries go, they do a lot of things with friends, the problem for visitors is that they don't do things with strangers.
Italians are so rude and try to rip you off and overcharge you
Yes in Ireland if someone is insulting you (in a playful way) after getting to know you it could be 'banter'. It means they think you're cool enough to take the slagging. My friends and I always take the piss out of each other.
Yeah, my friend. It appears you've participated into the most notorious cultural activity of the British isles: Banter.
@@panapanic2615 ireland is not the "british isles"....ireland is not associated with britain
@@traceymarshall5886 not yet...
As Chinese, I can relate to the Irish and Italian level of hospitality, as sharing food and feeding guests is also a big part of our culture! I was shocked about the Swedengate, it’s very interesting😂
It’s interesting how sometimes we have completely opposite interactions. I went to Sweden in 2019 to watch a band I like rehearse. They didn’t invite me. I asked if I travel there would I be able to watch it. Got there they were really nice to me we went out for lunch and they paid the lunch for me and one of the guys invited me for dinner at his home with his family. It was awesome.
Well, they're musicians and artists tend to be outside the box so maybe that's why they were friendlier than most swedes haha
That's because they probably felt a social obligation/debt had been created because you had spent so much of your own time and money to travel all the way over there that they had to show you a good time.
The gesture itself of just doing something like that requires some kind of reciprocating gesture.
@@hachimaki got it. But I noticed they are not up for chatting through text 😂😂 The opposite of my people(Brazilians)
love how honest the Swede was being, and there's no good or bad really in culture.. if Swedes are restrained in hospitality maybe they're better with integrity... there are always reasonings, compensations and balance going on within a society/culture.. can't really judge cultural traits in isolation.. always have to consider fuller context
I agree wholeheartedly. The Sweden gate trend was over the top. Sweden is a high trust society with low corruption (atleast used to be!!), that's also part of their culture
such a pleasant comment
That's not true, culture is not excempt from judgement and it can be bad. Like the female genital chop chop in Africa, is it cultural? Yes? Is it bad for the woman? Yes.
'Debt' in a "viking" culture was a thing....
Spot on with integrity, swedes value it very highly. Good for introverts and for special cookies, not so good for extroverts and people who'd like everyone to adapt to a norm.
P.s. swedengate was never a thing in my community, it's more common in middle/upper-class households and not so much for the people with lower socio-economic status.
6 years I lived in the Czech Republic where no one smiles in public (unless with your friends and families). From the countries Ive been to from travelling, I gotta say the Irish is up there at the top, most friendly and hospitable people Ive ever met. But I looooooved the scandinavians. Everyone keeps to themselves, quiet everywhere, people are polite and they are helpful when you ask for help.
I had a group of med students in my Airbnb in San José, Costa Rica. Once the hot tube broke. I came with the technical guy and the Irish guys made me sit down and had me drink coffee with them. That was the first time that a guest actually took time to hang out with me. They were surprisingly out going and talkative. Almost like in Latin America. I went to Ireland like 6 years ago and they were super nice there. I have a theory, based in mu latin background. When you come for countries with poverty and harsh times in the past, you really learn the importance, to lend a hand and be hospitable.
On the other hand, the Netherlands had poverty in the past, but it just makes them more cheap and worried to waste things 😂
@@hirsch4155 Dutch people are actually kind of nice
@@alfarocarlos Yes, they are nice and friendly, they just traditionally don’t like to go overboard with hospitality.
@@alfarocarlos depends
He didn't mention it but Sweden used to be one of the poorest nations in europe and the "Swedengate" culture developed during this time when people didn't even have enough food to feed themselves let alone their kids, that's why they didn't want to end up in debt to other families.
Many years ago I was on a cycling trip in Italy with a group of friends. Among those friends was a married couple who were celebrating their wedding anniversary. While in this small village, they learned that there was this small business the served private dinners in a home and they decided that they wanted to enjoy that for their celebration. They arranged a date and time and then proceeded to show up to the wrong house. It wasn't until they had finished their meal and tried to pay that they realized that they had gone to the wrong house! They were given a meal as complete strangers by this Italian family! I'd definitely say that Italians are hospitable!
As an example of the warmth and friendliness of Italians, the first time I visited we met many people in Amalfi. We were invited to their homes for lunch, dinner and other occasions. They would come and pick us up, take us places, etc. Fast forward 25 years and I still have those friends and more in subsequent visits. Very special. I've also had them visit me in the U.S. and returned their hospitality.
L'ospitalità della gente della Campania non la batte nessuno.
How I understood it as a kid (born and raised Swede). For me my parents wanted me home for dinner every night since that was family bonding time. Often my friends parents and my parents would call and discuss where the visiting kid would eat and often the result would be each at their own home. I think there are a couple of reasons for this:
1. It is getting late anyway,
2. Tend to cook exactly enough for the family (less waste but no room for additional portions). Swedes are planners, we plan, and execute according to plan.
3. Dinner time is family bonding time,
4. Cooking food for your kids is expressing love, and if your kid eats elsewhere parents feel hurt.
If it had been arranged the day before or during the afternoon eating at a friends house was no issue at all for either family. So I think point (2) is the main point. Swedes like planning and control. Call it cold, disgusting or unfriendly if you want. But for me, it is just a part of my culture.
Awwwww... reason number 4 is so cute 🥺
Ahhh. That makes sense.
Very bad excuses. Swedes have qualities, but they aren’t generous nor hospitable.
France is kinda similar except for number 2. But you'll never have a kid sitting by himself while the family eats. They're going to be sent back home to eat and maybe they'll come back after dinner to keep playing with their friend.
@@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643 I think it’s a misconception of what you define as hospitality. I lived in southern Europe and found that people put the bar so high that they end up inviting people twice a year. I prefer northern europe: frequent visits and an easy sandwich. It’s about the people after all, not the food. Plus elaborate meals make us uncomfortable, we know you don’t eat like this normally. It emphasises we’re not part of your family and sets the expectations high for us which is all, from our egalitarian culture, seen inhospitable. We want to blend in
I must say the times I visited Dublin was always great because of the open , musical people !
I didn't realize that European countries would have such different ideas on dinner parties and hospitality! It was neat learning about their cultures and getting to compare them to each other, very fascinating stuff!
Europe is just a social construct.. Italy or Greece have very little in common with Germany, Denmark or Sweden..
@@svenradd1027 There's no such thing as a "European social construct". It's a continent. Anyone who tries to treat Europe as a monolith is ignorant, simple as that
Since all the Celtic people are very hospitable and friendly I always wondered till a French guy told me it was because we were nomads and nomads have to be able to get to know and build trust with strangers regularly and being hospitable and friendly is a result of that. We are more friendly to strangers than our own and we are experts at knowing everything about everyone you don’t know by the end of a party.
I'm Scottish, so I know our Irish brethren well, but I live in Italy. So I would switch the Irish and the Italians. It's true that Italians will welcome you in and spontaneously whip something delicious up for you, but it is more about them receiving compliments for their food and joining them in disparaging your own cuisine (not true of every Italian obviously). The Irish don't judge and don't want to be judged. You could be gay, Muslim, African, trans, Asian or whatever and the Irish welcome would be the same. Unfortunately Italians hold a lot of prejudice against minorities.
I'd also switch the French and Germans, perhaps just because I have more experience of German hospitality.
So Italians are judgemental. Ok.
You're just a random lgbt who don't understand that some people outside you're group of friends with blue hair have traditions and culture, religion. Italy is the most beautiful country in the world by far just ask to google.
@@Chiamami_Capo all they’re saying is that i’m the irish are more inclusive and that’s the truth.
I agree
I agree. In general, I don't think that Italians will treat a black person or muslim with as much tolerance as Irish people.
I'm from 🇦🇷 and I can definitely relate to the Italian guy! In our culture Sunday is family day and who's ever hosting that person will set up a spread plus the people coming usually show up with either food, beer or wine it just goes without saying! In our culture if you invite people over to your home and you don't offer them food, drinks or coffee it's considered rude! Either way cool and funny video!😂😂
As a brazilian I have to say that the whole latin originated cultures like ours in Latin America is very receptive with guests, we wouldn't never let a guest without food in our homes and if we have a family party we can invite others too. There is no problem.
Absolutely and the fun and dance and very informal is key
As a kid growing up in sweden, it was often the other way around but for the same reason. I was actually asked many times if I wanted to stay for dinner at my friends house, but I said no. Not because i was not hungry, but because of the awkward sense of debt that would build up.
But also I was expected to be home for dinner anyways, dinnertime was often considered the end of the playdate and the start of familytime.
Exactly. It ha sothing to do with being against sharing food or sitting at the same table.
We had our Irish neighbours over for a dinner party a few times and every time the husband of the couple starts singing folk songs. They are a very fun, warm people.
I could listen to Irish folk songs all day and never get bored.
Sounds awesome! 😁
This has a lot to do with religion (Catholic vs Protestant). It surprised me how nobody brought that up. That’s why Italians, Irish and ultimately French are positioning on the “warmer” spectrum, and others as Protestants are on the “colder” side, so to speak. Side note: Of course there will be difference between a German from the catholic south vs the Lutheran north as well
I would add money. In poorer countries like the ones you mentioned it’s much more important to be seen as well off and generous. In rich countries money doesn’t enter into it. It’s more you should eat at home because it’s family time.
Totally true
@@wilhelmh9495 not completely agree. In a less rich country, it's much more important to share meal with people, since those who share meal know what hunger feels like. In the less rich, people do that because they experience/know what hunger feels like, so you'll feel the warmth by sharing meal. In rich country where hunger is typically out of question, where you can buy food easily, sharing a meal would be rare since you can afford it.
Besides, what Lorenzo said still true, Catholics tend to be community oriented, their basic tenet is mainly depicted from the church service, the Mass; especially breaking the bread where you share bread and wine. Thus you'll see the 'warmer' Italians/Irish and to some extend the French. The protestants meanwhile are more individuals, it's always about you and God as in Five Solae. However, despite the population being less religious these days, the population view's remain as it was.
Lorenzo, what you've said is very interesting. I've never thought about it. Please elaborate a bit more. Thanks. 🙂
@@wilhelmh9495 Italy is top 10 in every wealth category, NOT poor, even the south is richer than any Eastern European country and the poorest region nearly as rich as Spain's richest.
oh my god love the irish girl ! great sense of humor and sold me on Ireland ! as arabs we can connect to that kind of culture.
It's interesting: I was at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin this May, and every night, I was at the bar with fans from all over the world, with an obvious emphasis on Europe. And while people there were generally very nice, by FAR the two groups I got along with the best were the Irish and the Icelandic. (Also the Israelis and the Aussies but they're not technically in Europe, although they're a lot of fun and fit right in). The Irish will just welcome everyone into their group with open arms. The very first night I was there, a couple from Cork bought me a shot after we'd only been talking for like two minutes. The Icelanders, meanwhile, very much lived up to the stereotype that people from Nordic countries are much less reserved when drunk, because they were a GAS and we shot the shit for like two hours. They're hilarious. As a New Yorker, those were the sensibilities I got along with the best. (And, of course, Italy is an incredibly hospitable country and Turin in particular is a big bear hug of a city, cannot recommend it enough).
As a Mexican, I really relate to the French guy talking about lots of parties & kids sleeping on the chairs because parties are going late. Hell, as an adult I'm hardly phased by the neighbors parties at 3am because I was trained to sleep through it as a child 😂😂😂
I'm Portuguese and I remember one time as a kid I visited my Irish friends house and his parents gave me so much food there. It was very good too👍
So I can confirm what the Irish lady is saying
I’m from Iran and I see a lot of similarities between Italian and Iranian culture I’ve never been to Italy but I have seen some of them in Persepolis and Shiraz they were really friendly
and warm people I would love to visit Italy one day love Italy from Iran 🇮🇷❤️🇮🇹
This is Middetreanean culture, middle eastern and latino culture.. all are very similar.
You are more than welcome to come to Italy 🥳
@@Ahmed-pf3lg exactly
@@trancemadmaz thanks a lot when I will be able to travel to Europe my first choice will be Italy and also it will be an honor to host you in Iran
@@mohammadsheibani5635 Grazie Mille. All Iranians I have met throughout my life have been very warm, sociable people and would love to visit your country 1 day
Sweden sounds great! So...you're telling me I can live in a country where people leave me alone and I'm not obligated to speak with them? Therefore just live in peace without judgement?
Well, yes. It's a haven for introverts, but hell for those that'd like to make new friends.
Spot on (I'm a Swede)
Sounds more like they do it upside down for no reason. Either the kid gets picked up before or he eats with the host and they are in debt forever cuz they fucked up by not picking him up on time or whatever.
But than they suddenly become super hosts when its about meeting some friends?! Wouldnt it make more sense to dial it back there - specially if you dont like to be in debts?
Order some food instead or do a BBQ and everyone brings their own meat/beer (the costs get shared). So it would be a bit of cleaning/preparing vs "traveling" there. And it wouldnt matter much if you are host or visitor as both have their perks.
Music to my ears😊😊
For me it's Italy and also i think that people from italy are one of the most friendly in the world , even though i've n never been there i asked to people from my family who went to Italy and they said that's true
I've been to Ireland and Italy - think it is unfair that the Irish lady had to switch places - Italian people are also great and very welcoming, but I have never experienced the hospitality the Irish have anywhere else in the world - you walk in a local pub and it's like you returned to your family. But of course Italians cook better - but this should then be a different ranking!
Yes I agree as an Italian that has spent a bit of time in Ireland. They are quite nice. They are surely hospitable but surely they did not had the chance yet to show it to the world to gain that reputation. Indeed, if it about hospitality only, I would go for Ireland as well even if I know little. Not everyone likes tourists in Italy at all.
Being Italian i can say that we don't do it for hospitality but to impress the others, we're always afraid of what others thinking and afraid to do not meet expectations.....
this is a great point Young Siffridi and something that should be factored into our perspectives about these cultures. I was thinking this about Asian cultures - its not always out of the goodness of their hearts, but rather the pressure to meet social expectations and be seen as good, polite, 'upstanding' people.
This Italian branding is a big lie, I'm back in our lovely homecountry and I just want to move somewhere else once again ...
Italians are so rude and try to rip you off and overcharge you
@@fidgetykoala I feel the same when I returned to the England from living in Germany, ...and from Scotland too.
it's true but, you know, it translates into hospitality so it doesn't really matter that much.
As an Armenian, I am shook to the core by the Swedish guy lol Italians and Irish are more of my vibe.. or our culture, rather :D
Italians are so rude and try to rip you off and overcharge you
Now that's a country I wanna see!
@@GipsyK6345 always welcome!☺️
So true 😂🇦🇲
canadian here with an armenian mom, I have the same reaction. All my armenian family members feed me like I haven't seen food in years lol
Sheldon from TBBT reference is on point! 😂😂😂😂
I went to Sweden twice in high school touring w my singing group. We stayed in host homes. The families were welcoming but quite subdued and maybe a bit shocked our American outgoing nature.
One thing that frequently gets overlooked when talking about the relative hospitalities of countries, is climate and soil fertility
Italians and Mediterranean countries can be more hospitable because they can grow more food more often, and the weather is nearly always favorable for spontaneous strolls and excursions
Up in Scandinavia, it's dark half the year, and frigid, and for lack of volcanoes replenishing the soil with nutrients and less sunshine, there's less food availability - and up until the early 1900s, you could only go out for spontaneous visits for maybe 3 months out of the year without risking frostbite or adverse weather conditions that could land you stuck in mud miles from home. So Swedes just went out less and had less to share for a majority of their history
My family is from Norrland, and while I've found folks in Stockholm to be a bit chattier and more sociable than folks in the village up north, it's still very much like western Washington state there, across the whole country. I don't feel it as much as folks from sunnier climates do because I already live in the middle of the Seattle Freeze, so Sweden feels more like home than home, a lot of the time. But I really notice it when I interact with recent immigrants, or venture to other countries in Europe
I've worked in Georgia, and Georgians are by far *the* most hospitable, friendly, and social people I have ever encountered anywhere. Their climate is warmer, and their proximity to a bunch of volcanoes + tons of silt runoff from alpine glaciers means their soil is regularly replenished with nutrients, so it makes perfect sense that they're so inviting
I miss Georgia almost every day
Amazing video! I love this channel! Why not the same video but only with Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece!!?? :D
We can definitely try out a Southern European edition. Greece and Portugal will be in the next video!
@@DatingBeyondBorders
... and Eastern European edition, and Western European edition, and Northern European edition. ;-)
No space for Malta, eh?
Hahahaha Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal are almost one country with four different languages!😂😂😂 The four should become one country that would be one amazing nation!😂😂😂 love to all four from 🇦🇷!😉👍
Your wonderful posts and wonderful photos really attract me but I am not a friend. I tried to send you a friend request but didn't work. You can send me a friend request if you don't mind. Cheat on a dirty friend, I want to know you better. I hope to see you mature my friend thanks.
I love Italy and Irish people from 🇮🇷🏳🙏😊 so friendly
Mate that’s the iranian and french flag.
Italians are so rude and try to rip you off and overcharge you
I'm Italian and I have a house in a village near the border with France with a lot of foreign tourists: I normally throw parties on my terrace and sometimes I just count up to 8 nationalities there, including many Scandinavians. I've never been invited back from them: everybody else has always made sure they offer me something in exchange, but not Scandinavians. But I still like them: they're friendly and great conversationalists after some good Rossese (the local red wine)
If it's something that you think bothers you, be honest about it. A typical Swede value honesty, even if that comes in the form of constructive criticism. I think the answer to it is pretty simple, really. They haven't thought about it. I don't think they're avoiding you or excluding you. Spontaneity isn't exactly a Swedish trait. Planned events, how ever ... :)
@@bjoardar no, I simply don't care... I will never ever tell someone to invite me to their house. After all think about it: I am in my own country, I will not change my habits to accomodate foreigners. I am not the one who has to accept local customs... I certainly did when I lived abroad, but not in my own country. If my Scandinavian neighbours think about it themselves, great, if they don't fine, too. But this is the difference between becoming friends or just being neighbours. Hospitality and spontaneity cannot be taught, but if you don't have them, you'll simply not become my friend. Not a big deal after all. And no, I will not be honest with my expectations... I am not Swedish and I am not used to using "constructive criticism" with people I do not know well. I just notice things and keep them for myself, if an invitation does not come after they've been to my place 3 times, I'll just stop inviting them: I am not a restaurant after all! 😉
@@mimmiblu6138 That's fair. I was simply offering you my thoughts on the matter and a suggestion if you considered it a problem.
The thing about Nordics is that we don't "read the room" or try to guess what you think. Communication with us works best with openness, so I'm not sure they'll understand the message if you simply "ghost" them.
Anyways, that's just what I think. Feel free to ignore what I've said or take it under consideration, which ever you prefer, but from your comments I will have to assume that introverted Nordics are perhaps not the most enjoyable company for you?
Of course, no group of people is a monolith. There are extroverted Nordics as well :)
@@bjoardar my comment was old btw, in September we went to the restaurant with a Norwegian family we really like and they... paid for everybody. As you said every individual is different and we really found each other interesting, so we both went the extra mile in understanding each other and accomodating for the cultural differences. (Also they said that they were a bit intimidated by my husband's culinary skills, so they opted for a restaurant. Makes sense, doesn't it?!)
@@mimmiblu6138 Glad to hear that :D
As an italian that likes sweden, I knew about the "least hospitable" stuff but not the kid part. I was very saddened by that. However Peter explained it in a matter that I found kinda sweet and that makes sense, especially considering the place where abundance of food was a luxury (is still a freezing cold place not suited for agriculture like the mediterranean area). However in the past also southern europe had the same problem but tied to poverty. In the north the approach is try to survive as long as possible for your close ones, in the south is feast when you can because you could die tomorrow. Different approaches to life, both correct in their own ways.
I feel like nordics could throw big parties but they are afraid of letting you down or making you feel uncomfortable because you can't do the same as them. It's thoughtful in preserving your image I believe
Si chiama parata di culo. Altro che "kinda sweet".
for the swedengate thing... as a swede i've def been left in the room of my friends when younger!! But i also want to add that there's often an option. they ask you if you actually want to eat with them or not and often me and my friends would decline dinner at the friend's place, due to family dinners with your own family being such a big thing. also depended on what food they were serving ofc no one would decline or be left out of tacos!! Tho honestly my friends usually would decline my dad's cooking bc it was too spicy for them 💀
Im not from sweden but same. Sometimes i waited in my friend's room while they ate dinner because my parents would haved killed me if i had eaten dinner elsewhere than home
@@AF-tc9gr ????? Why, were they afraid your friend's parents may poison you? LAtino people can't understand this point of view: a guest is a guest and you treat him well period.
@@amiquigonzales7917 no, not at all. it's not a question of hospitality. We offer food, of course we do. We just always ask if they want some. If they do, of course, come sit with the family, have as much as you want and more. But sometimes they don't and it's more comfortable for them to wait it the room. We don't force anything upon our guests (unless there is a grandmother, you can't decline her food xd)
I personally decline because my family eats together every evening and i want to eat with them. Dinner is a family time, the only time we get to be together, so i can't and don't want to just toss it away.
I can't really speak for all my friends tho because my family is not from the country we live in, but the one i talked to about it agreed on this
@@AF-tc9gr Well, if you can eat twice that's wonderful, you are a lucky person. I can eat twice, maybe not all the supper or lunch but certainly part of it. Let alone boys or young men, they can eat everything. The thing is being together, interact, update and laugh, that's the point of having food with your family. And if another family is so kind as to want to share with you their food and their time, you just accept humbly the privilege. That is generally our point of view. And there is something about God being generous to you, you don't lack food: there are some people on the planet who can't say the same-
@@amiquigonzales7917 i don't eat much in the evening, so one dinner is enough, but you are right, I'm lucky and I'll remeber it next time friend's family offers me food :)
I understand your point of view and i think it's beautiful, really. I just wanted to share ours and explain a bit why we do what we and that it doesn't come from a place of malice.
As a Swede, I would think that the step from a stranger to a friend can probably feel monumental to someone not from the Nordic region. How ever ...
... the step from a friend to a close friend is very easy.
It's the entry level that is hard, but when you've made a Swedish friend, you have a friend for life.
In holland, when i was a kid and played at a friend, the parents of the friend would say: we gonna eat. The meaning of this sentence means: you have to go home. If you wanted to eat, than you had to plan that, so they had enough food. It is really normal over here. #TrueStory
If you are interested in the dutch hospitality. In this video "famous" dutch people are talking about the dutch hospitality. For me as a dutchie very familiar🤣😅
ua-cam.com/video/N765_r_iddU/v-deo.html
Omg, that’s kind of sad though.
I have french friends whose parents did the same to me too.
I'm dutch speaking but I could not never adhere to this culture. I've always found it backwards. When guests come over, you offer food, plain and simple. How can a grown adult feel good about themselves after secluding their child's friend in a room whilst the whole family is eating in the dining room? Or sending the child home to avoid feeding them? Ffs.
And if u woulf stay for dinner tghe parents would send the other a tikkie in advance. This is complete bullshit ofcourse bit it would def defeat Sweden in this case if it where to be true XD
Oh man that is so sad and disrespecfull , as a meditranean country
If a Dutch family would say something like that to me, my parents would definitely not allow me to even play with their children.
Us swedes finds it normal. Eating dinner together as a family is a really important thing here. I used to stay at friends' houses after school every single day, imagine if I always ate at their places, then I would have never ate dinner at home with my family? or do you guys eat 2 dinners? It's just the way it is here and we don't find it strange. But of course I have eaten food at other's houses, and especially breakfast if I stayed over!
Horrible ,you have no idea just how strange you people are
@@Србомбоница86 i never said others have to understand it
@@Србомбоница86 how is it horrible? No kid is told ”you can’t eat here”. If it’s a spontanous visit, the kids’ parents always have a dialogue about dinner because it would be rude to feed the kid guest if they are expected to have dinner when they get home
@@itsclaaara omg ,you people are truly not human ha ha ha
@@Србомбоница86 I am born and raised on Sweden and I agree that this the strangest and coldest thing to do. To actually let a child sit in a room while you and your family eat is crazy.
In my opinion, Georgians 🇬🇪 are the most hospitable and friendliest people in the world.
True true. Post soviet countries know
That’s true❤️🇬🇪🤍
I'd love to see a video comparing Australia / New Zealand / UK/ US with European cultures, since a large proportion of the population has European ancestry but have developed their own cultures.
NZ would wipe the floor with all those countries in terms of hospitality unless Scotland or the North of England become an independent nation
@@trancemadmaz I will admit, when I went to Australia, the most welcoming people there were from NZ. To be fair it was close but I swear every person from NZ was always inviting me somewhere with them. The rudest people I met over there were actually in Sydney. For the record, they were still nicer than many people where I live in California, lol.
@@byronsmith3152 Yea I had a similar experience in Oz. The Kiwi's I met there were very freindly warm, and humble people but in NZ I found that to be the case even more so. I have a lot of love for that country 🇳🇿
Not you forgetting about Canada like we don’t exist 😂
@@LiyahRochelle I've never been to Canada but their friendliness comes across as a bit disingenuous from my experience. NZ'ers are far more sincere and genuine compared to Canadians imho.
The Irish woman made me think of "Jewish mother" stereotypes. It made me think the Irish like to play pranks when making food for guests. I am guessing Ms. O'Flaherty would serve anchovy pizza for her next dish if you liked the liver and onions. The Swedish sound smart for not wanting to be in debt. People have a funny idea of what "hospitable" is.
Anchovy pizza is a specialty in Napoli
Yeah, and then worried about your status at IRS you forget about Christian charity.
As an Irishman 🇮🇪 who in my 20s lived in France 🇫🇷, Germany 🇩🇪, Belgium 🇧🇪 and Italy 🇮🇹, I really enjoyed this video. I’ve also travelled in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 and Sweden 🇸🇪 before, so I could relate to what each were saying.
Basically, for food, it has to be Italy 🇮🇹, with Greece 🇬🇷 and Spain 🇪🇸 coming next. I believe the Portuguese 🇵🇹 are also good at that, but I’ve only been to their country once.
I visited Stockholm 🇸🇪 when I was living in Turin 🇮🇹, and I found the cultural difference very stark. That said, having attractive, blonde women approach you in a bar and be very up front, made a pleasant change. It was much harder to meet and chat to single Italian girls socially. Whereas the Nordics really do let their hair down after a few drinks.
The Frenchman 🇫🇷 was on the money that outside Paris they are much warmer and friendlier, and great fun. But it really helps if you speak French. Don’t just assume that they will speak English to you. That will not end well.
Parisians do indeed give off the worst impression of their country. I studied in Lille in the north where that man is from. The culture there is quite similar to Flemish (Belgian 🇧🇪) culture and great fun. More beer and chips culture than wine and cheese which you’d get in the south.
The Germans 🇩🇪 are actually very hospitable and make great friends for life, like the lady said. The stereotype about them being cold is way off the mark.
As for us Irish ☘️, our social culture does indeed revolve around drink, in the way that Mediterranean culture revolves around food.
I gravitate towards fellow Europeans who like the craic and the banter, so I always had many friends from Spain 🇪🇸 and Denmark 🇩🇰 (the Latins of the North).
I guess I just really like hospitality and warm people. That’s why I now live in Guadalajara, Mexico 🇲🇽 !
Plus it’s nice to pick up new languages. I now speak fluent French, German, Italian and Spanish, in addition to my mother tongue, English. My Irish is only pidgin alas. 😕
So get travelling, people. It’s fun discovering which stereotypes are true and which are myths!
@Gavin Doyle🍀
This was very comprehensive !🤯
And I love all the flag emojis and stuff (I do that too....most of the time too much, according to my friends!😅😖)
I'm ASEAN so I ABSOLUTELY agree with the whole preference for warm relationships ! I envy you ! You're living my dream ! Someday, I'll reach mine too, I just know it ! It's my main motivation for studying a multitude of world languages ! ✨🌟🌍 🌟✨
The Irish lady is the OG , loved her reactions and she is just too sweet 😊👍
Just want to say that they are a little happy to draw all Swedes under the same framework. It was not like that in all Swedish homes. sure they were a bit more common in the 90s and early 2000s. For example, my mother always asked my friends if they wanted to eat. and sometimes they wanted to and sometimes not but it were up to themselves. so not all Swedes are like that..
@Mikael don't you worry, a lot of people know that there is variety everywhere. Already in the same family you probably have people having different ideas. 😊
Greetings from Italy
Fascinating insights. Honestly kind of glad to see France get a little bit of credit, since they often get called "rude" (unfairly, in my opinion). Also, I suspect this ranking mirrors their introvert / extrovert cultural norms.
Agreed. Especially in the south of France
The French are very very hospitable in my experience ... but we like squabbling about whose food is the best!
Your wonderful posts and wonderful photos really attract me but I am not a friend. I tried to send you a friend request but didn't work. You can send me a friend request if you don't mind. Cheat on a dirty friend, I want to know you better. I hope to see you mature my friend thanks.
Yes, Paris is a different world compared to France in general. I find most French people to be very pleasant, friendly and hospitable.
While I can understand the Swede’s reasoning, it is still odd to me. I grew up in a Portuguese family so I was nodding with the Italian 😀 No matter if there is a feast or simple/humble food, we offer food, beverage, and spend time with guests. If a table seats 4 and there are 5 people, we will make 5 place settings and seats. My parents would often invite the hired contractors to have lunch/dinner with our family 😂 and some of them were surprised but were happy to accept.
As a fellow Portuguese person, I can confirm this! Portugueses, espanhóis e italianos são todos assim :)
yea but you obviously cant understand a foreign culture by comparing it to your own, youd have to live in sweden a whole life and know about old history and how society was shaped when we were starving and very poor, how things have been organized through centuries, culture and social things, its ofcourse a complex soup of etnological and antrologic history and ancient social structures which shapes the mindset through generations
@@audhumbla6927 italy was a poor country too, pasta literally was and is the cheapest thing to make and some family would and do it both as lunch and dinner.
@@sofypi7493 food was till without doubt more accessible in Italy in comparison to Sweden back in history. Sweden has a much colder climate and therefore not as many options.
I'm from northeast of Brazil and my grandmother says "you don't ask if a guest wants something, you just put it (food or drinks) and serve it straight away".
According to her who asks don't want to give.
Sou do Nordeste do Brasil e minha avó diz logo "você não pergunta se uma visita quer comer/beber, você serve logo".
Segundo ela, quem pergunta não quer dar.
Interesting to see, that countries from the north(germany, whole scandinavia etc) that are considered to be not hospitable, friendly and cold but are on the other hand very liberal regarding their politics, sexuality, equality rights and social standards if you compare it to countries from the south( greece, italy) that tend to have more extreme positions when it comes to their governments, but are considered to be warm and welcoming.
Really interesting point. it is almost as if the state provides a warm blanket in Germany and Scandinavia and in Italy the responsibility falls on the people. Saying that I think Ireland have quite progressive politics...I could be wrong.
What is an extreme position? I'd say in the larger perspective the Scandinavian et al positionn is extremely. Extreme equality, liberty etc.
Equality and liberty are fundamental basic rights, so this cant be considered extreme.
Spain and Portugal are actually incredibly liberal, and actually in some cases like drugs use (Portugal especially) and LGTB+ rights and societal acceptance of homosexuality and transexuality (Spain particularly) they are actually even more liberal than most Northern countries except perhaps the Netherlands, Belgium or Sweden.
@@tobio6496 for me Nordic people are extreme,and thank God most countries are not like you 😊
I'm glad that the swedish guy was honest!
As a Swede I like how the Swedish guy not only admits that yeah, Swedish people aren't the most hospitable bunch, but also tries to explains the reasons and the cultural nuances that makes it so. Swedish people are quite polite, and there is a massive emphasis on not being a nuisance to others, but sadly we really aren't very hospitable or "nice" as compared to other countries. Just like with every cultural practice though, there is a reason why things are the way the are. There's no denying that we generally do not have the same "warmth" and friendliness that other countries have, and I do hope that will change. It's not because we are evil or anything, we're just... weird.
I am a viking enthusiast, do you think it's because of them? They were always cold and hungry. That mentality of not sharing probably passed down... ???
Why do you think swedes have to change. Is it worth it if you compromise other positive attributes of your culture (such as not being a nuisance to others as you mentioned) to be 'perceived' by other cultures, or on social media as warm and hospitable ? I am not a swede, not even from Europe.
I had a Swede go on a rant to me about immigrants/migrants ruining their country… I know that he doesn’t represent the whole of Sweden. But honestly, the impression I get from Swedes (most of Scandinavia tbh) is that they are not welcoming of outsiders, they don’t want outsiders in their country. And I don’t go places where I’m not welcome. I’m an introvert, but I’d rather spare myself being ostracized and judged by people that don’t even want me in their country in the first place.
Because you lack sunshine lol
@@honey_seeker2353 their environment probably like cold and dark. It’s like staying all day indoors. Less vitamin d less serotonin less energy less friendliness.
You know it’s a miracle this didn’t end with a beat down
Love the Italians but the Irish are the most hospitable, they just know how to treat a guest. They radiate friendliness everywhere and anywhere. The Italians can keep the best food award though 😉
Swede here born '92. Regarding the Swedengate thing, I'm fairly certain the main reason for it is the fact that most Swedish parents would expect you to get home to have family dinner. I have never heard the point about debts that Peter was talking about in the video, but I'm sure that happens aswell. My parents ALWAYS expected me to be hungry when I got home after hanging out with friends, and I most definitely had to tell my parents beforehand if I had dinner at a friends house (OR ELSE MY PARENTS MIGHT COOK TOO MUCH FOOD FOR THE DAY!!! AHHHH the horror)
Yes more of those videos,enjoyed that.
It would be hard to argue against Italy on the hospitality front.
Many comments, also made by italians, did!!! 🙃
Yes, I love this series. Please, keep them coming!
Having been around the French countryside in Bordeaux, Perigord and Burgundy, I found the people to be very genuine and very friendly. They were very welcoming to our young children. At the end of the day they are Latins and they enjoy a good time with friends and family.
Friendly means offer you some cookies 🍪 but like no French person unless they are one upping another Frenchmen will in their right mind offer a few nights rest and then offer other than a croissant and coffee.
we aren't all latin tho
@@charles1413 my point exactly Europe is most certainly a melting pot. European breakfast is what? It’s aight. Least of things, it is familiar with is generosity, come to America, please. Serving sizes are different and drink sizes are far more gargantuan. Than standardization of everything European. America does everything to the extreme & I wouldn’t have it any other way, k 🤕😵💫🤐
I think all Europe is wonderful. Many different countries with their culture, art, history, landskapes, food... We are lucky for living in this Continent. 🇮🇹😘
Very nice.
Make more.
This happy group of people reminds my friends from Erasmus and some youth exchange program i had
I like the new series! It would have been cool to have seen someone from Spain or Portugal in this video. 😁
Loved this episode so much very very funny!
Not eating dinner as a child at a friend's place is not 100% in Sweden, but it is probably around 50%. It was mostly when you decided to go home with a friend from school, which already pulls limits of Swedish social spontaneity, also eating there was often a bridge too far. Often though, you would be asked if you would eat when you got home, and most of the time you would, since parents would not want to inconvenience each other. So it is partially a consequence of the non-spontaneitous and planning-heavy parts of our culture. Having someone else eat dinner with a family is also seen as a bit of a break in social borders, and that needs preparation. It was rarely a case of: "You are not allowed to eat dinner with us." And more of a case of: "You are going to eat at home, right?". Of course, the answer would be yes since, who does not get fed at home? And often, when the friend's parents said: "We are going to eat soon." it meant that you really ought to go home now, in most cases.
Saying to someone "you are going to eat at home, right?" is exactly the same as telling someone "you are not allowed to have dinner with us" . It's not like someone would respond "no, I will stay and eat your food, smells so good".
@@MsMinoula Not exactly the same, since if your answer was in the negative, as awkward as it would be, you would most probably not be denied food.
One is an active denial of food, implying that you are forbidden from actually eating, the other is a cultural presumption that you and your family will want you to eat with them, rather than with us.
@@Osvath97 hahaha right.
@@Osvath97 lmfao you Nordic weirdos
All of their culture comes down to history, Ireland had a famine so when it ended, people started to feed each other to make sure it wouldn’t happen again, the famine has been long gone but people still feed each other because the practice stayed even after the famine. In Sweden, people are a lot more reserve, so they only feed you if you were formally invited, I understand. It’s interesting to see the difference in cultures despite being in the same continent. Cheers to Europe! 🇪🇺
I was really surprised when I heard the Sweden thing. Next door in Norway we basically force-feed guests wether they like it or not xD
Marina, your videos never disappoint. This one was a lot of fun to watch (especially the LOTR reference), and your imaginative ideas always feel integral to everything that has come before. This is true art! :)
Thanks Michael!
This is when being Latino and Italian is a plus. My dad is Argentinian and my mom is Cuban. I come from Italian background but our Latino culture is super warm.
Ironically my mom’s side of the family is more hospitable, Cubans tend to be SUPER hospitable. My dad’s family is to an extent, but not as much as my mom’s family.
However, it’s this nice warm comfortable feeling and it leaves you feeling like you wanna enjoy that moment much longer. The food, the laughter, conversations, the love is felt.
This is why I love Italians, they’re very similar to our culture and I can see my family getting along well with them.
I live in the Netherlands and I agree on the final ranking. The Swedish guy's explanation about "don't want to be indebted" is interesting, though. However, I would never do that. If I have guests coming to my house and if I'm cooking dinner, rest assured they will eat too. I guess that's the Indonesian root in me, we will always put guests first and offer everything on the table to make them feel like home.
I would like to visit Italy, Ireland and France. This channel relax me after studying. LOVE FROM SERBIA🇷🇸
I am from Italy and have been living in Germany for two years now. honestly, Germans are very hospitable and most of all are very very spontaneous, so whenever they invite you over most of the time it can not even be planned out thoroughly but either way, it is always lovely and you are treated as one of the family. If you get invited more formally it is always nice to bring something over (food e/o drinks) and help always your host clean up, maybe in Italy the host says that they do it later, Germans are much more efficient! I don´t feel too much different from home, and I don´t get why they say they are cold, they take their time to know you and warm up but once they do, you are family!
but... but... - Stereotyping is fun, that's why. Couldn't be the younger generations in Europe growing closer to each other, could it be? ;)
Swedish here! I don't remember that swedegate had anything to do with money but it was about the Guest family not wanting to take away the opportunity for the family to sit down together to eat with their family when the kid came home from his friend on a weekday evening one of the few possibilities to ask how the day at school was and so on. on weekends you were always invited to dinner.
with that said, I think this was more common in the early 90s-80s-70s. because I only have memories of it when it comes to neighbors who live 5 minutes from home and only on weekdays after school
Italy has a thousands years old history with tourism. Literally.
Not being hospitable was one of the worst things both in pre-Christianism and Christianism. It is very well rooted.
Geemany north of Hamburg = Denmark = Sweden = Norway = Finland ... pretty similar, spontaneously inviting someone over is unusual and asking spontaneously is rude, too, since no one could prepare. When meeting people at their homes for eating purposes it is way more enjoyable imo, it is prepared and you do not need to give sth back, no guilt and no stress (have been to 100+ countries) - it is all nice in its own ways, but coming from pretty north of Europe often results in not wanting to be spontaneously invited and feeling awkward sometimes
As a japanese, totally agree with you. same opinion.
"Swedengate" is a very common thing in the Netherlands as well. I've spent many hours in my friends' rooms around 17h (yes, that's time for supper for some sick reason).
What?? Never happened to me (also from the Netherlands). That is so incredibly rude. What part of the country are you from?
It's not necessarily my cup of tea either, but I can understand earlier dinners in households where people tend to work early though. If you have to get up at 5 AM to get to work, you're obviously starting to fancy dinner around 5 PM.
Swedengate in itself is a bit of a mixed bag for me and where I grew up (Amsterdam). In some households you'd better be gone by 6 PM alright, but in other households it was basically an insult if you didn't feel sick from all the food you had to eat. :D
@@jdjphotographynl True! Maybe it’s a bit different in Groningen. Although old people here tend to have dinner around 12 in the afternoon😁 It happened to me as a child once or twice though that I got the feeling that they wanted me gone at dinnertime. Swedengate is next level. Pretty funny though. Did you actually have to be in a separate room?
@@housefox92 Neah, I luckily never had to experience that I was somewhere where the family were going to eat and I couldn't get anything. Mostly because I have experienced a few of those: "Well, well, look at the time..." remarks when it got close to 6 PM, and I got the hint. :)
@@housefox92 It also helped that I often preferred to eat at home anyway. The perks of having a mom that did most of the cooking, and she did that well. :D
I'm half greek half Austrian but I've also lived in Ireland for half a year. Irish are wonderful people. Greeks love to invite people all the time and Austrians too.
Sweden is one of the most friendly countries I have been too!! And Ive been to alot!!
Liar.
I'm a Swede, and I agree with the Swede.
It's how it was when I was little. Loved playing video games while my friend went to eat 👍
I’ve been to these countries (except Ireland and Netherlands) and what they said is so true. Except for Italians I feel like it doesn’t happen as often with strangers. They were quite rude in the north part actually. French people in Paris too are rude. Germans just mind their own business. And Swedish people do too. But being less hospitable doesn’t make them any less friendly. Germans and Swedes are very friendly people.
Any chance to share few examples of rudeness that you experienced in the north of Italy?
@@paolagrando5079 I don't think he means Italy. He said "except for Italians".
Well this video was a culture shock and eye opener. As an African, we are more likely to act like the Italians and Irish. However, i would not say one culture is better than the other, it's just how it is. Thanks for the video
Awesome video
The Irish girl was annoying. I lived in IRL for 5 years. People are certainly outgoing, but I wouldn't call them hospitable. Everything revolves around pubs, pubs, pubs. People don't really meet at each other's homes. Local cuisine is pretty bad anyway!
This how I remembered it as a child in the 90s. I was always offered food but stayed in the room of the child I was visiting if I 1, had already eaten at home 2, was going to eat after I had played. If it was planned that I was going to eat with the kids family that was always offered. People had different dinner time. And if my mum was expecting me to eat at home I wouldn’t come home already full as in Sweden we eat together as a family around the table and connect. (The parents didn't see the kids that much during the weekdays so during the dinner time you hang out with your family). I don't have any kids but when I did I would ofc offer the Childs friend some food if the Childs parents said it was okay for them to miss dinner at home.
The French and German hugging, that's funny :-)
why? France and Germany are extremely close nowadays !
A pool in a french paper (Le Monde) has shown that 82% of French likes Germans.
Fantastic watch as always 👌🏿🔥
In Poland we have a saying "Gość w dom, Bóg w dom" or Guest in the house, God in the house lol
Loved this new concept!
Also, great book, I recommend it :D
The Swedish example here is only applicable to a small part of the country (Southern big cities) so it is very biased.
Northern and small town Sweden is hospitable and will invite complete strangers inside.
We also have big public BBQs with activities. No fancy expensive food or tiring planning.
"Small part of the country" -> "Souther big cities". You are aware of that like 85% of the population live in the south right? When talking about Sweden as a country then you will talk about how most people are, not the few thousands that live in the north.
@@Mrsuperdestroyer 85% do not live in far south big cities. In just Norrland it's 1.2 million. If you look at small towns/ country southern probably another 2-3 mil. Norrland is also 60% of the country, more relevant than ex Malmo which is what? 0.2%?
@@Alice-kq8eo Norrland is 10% of the population yes, that makes it 90% that lives in the south. the Norrland definition that has 10% of the population also include Gästrikland, which honestly I wouldn't really count and most in the actual north would not either. 85% of Sweden's population lives in urban areas. I added up just the top 10 cities in Sweden and got to 5.35 million people. The absolute majority live in southern cities and you saying Norrland got a lot of forest area doesn't change this.
@@Mrsuperdestroyer Which is why I said north AND **south rural/small town**
85% live in tätort, which means high population/sqkm (ex a village), it does not mean big city.
So half the population lives there, 5 million Is bit more than "few thousand".
Besides cities like sthlm have nothing Swedish about them, they're continental no different from any other EU capital. Swedish culture is in small towns, not sthlm.
It's like saying NYC represents US
Growing up in the southern US, I relate a lot to the Irish lady. Especially when it comes to feeding your guests. 🤣
Where im from Finland its a bit two edged sword, eastern parts of Finland its very same level with italy and ireland and beside in west its more like sweden. North and south its kind of mixed. But in general, we just need a couple portions of alc% and than we talk everything! 😂
Sweden rocks! My favorite. Great job!
4:44 This is super true for India too. Whenever we send a food container to a friend,it must come back with food.
I’m flabbergasted to say the least. In Indonesia we have a saying that guests are kings, so it’s natural to go above and beyond to welcome people in our home, we’d literally give up our bed and be in debt to throw you a feast. Traveling all over Southeast Asia, I’ve found most of the countries are similar in that sense. Well, not so much in more well off countries like Malaysia and Singapore, but I’ve experienced the best hospitality from countries like Vietnam and Philippines, something which foreigners can expect in Indonesia as well.
I’m looking forward to the Eastern European version and The Balkans version… those sound like hilarious shit shows! Especially the Balkans! Lmao
Gonna be fun😎
That's not stereotypical at all....
@@DarkwingsDesending Sir, your carrot fell out of your ass, let me put it back for you
The Sweden thing happened to me as a kid and teen only it went a step further and I was either sent home to my own house or sent outside until I was invited back if I was. In America (from my experience) if you wanted to eat a friends house you have to be invited and the parents had to like each other, coordinate and often times pay the host for your kids meal. I am definitely more like Sweden now or at least I would be if i did have guest over. I used to be like Ireland/Italy but I change that after people stopped coming or appreciating it. I was like Germany for my birthdays but stopped doing that as well. Americans do potlucks where everyone brings something(expected) either made or bought. Portland, Oregon USA is Irish for dinner parties.