What is the SwedenGate trend, what does it say about hospitality in Nordic culture
The hashtag ‘#SwedenGate’ hits social networking sites, where users debate Sweden’s cultural manner: Swedes do not serve food to their guests.
Hundreds of customers have shared their personal experiences in Swedish households with the hashtag, several Swedes have motivated the practice and clarified the logic behind the practice, and some were shocked by what they perceive as inhospitable treatment.
Table of Contents
How did the hashtag ‘SwedenGate’ start?
The answers to Sverigeposten from the Swedes themselves are absolutely astonishing pic.twitter.com/iZ2fRrGwcP
– Victims of Capitalism Memorial Foundation (@karaokecomputer) 31 May 2022
It all started with an AskReddit question. “What was the strangest thing you had to do at someone else’s home because of their culture / religion?” asked someone on the platform. One of the answers to the question has been the beginning of what is now called “Sweden Gate”.
The answer was: “I remember visiting a Swedish friend’s home. His mother shouted that the meal was cooked while we played in his hall. And look at this. He asked me to stay and wait for his room while they ate.”
According to the user, Swedes in certain circumstances do not usually serve meals to visitors while eating their own food. Several internet users were surprised to discover this Swedish culture of not serving food.
Others soon joined in, posting their own stories of unexpected interactions with the Swedish people and discussing their obvious lack of hospitality.
Users from a variety of cultures were outraged by this information and thought the gesture was inappropriate for a guest. On the other hand, they defended the traditions and gave the explanations for the rather unusual Swedish hospitality. The slug party quickly merged with many more problems, which resulted in a Twitter storm.
Swedes take hold of this?
Several Swedes defended the practice and claimed that Swedes do not serve meals to guests, especially children, so that it does not interfere with intentions that their family members may already have at home.
Many Swedes also stated that the practice had little effect on them when they grew up in the region, which was known for its high standard of living and equal access to vital resources such as healthcare.
Some have associated the practice with Nordic Viking culture, where food is often seen as a debt. Unpaid debts were often the source of violent duels in Nordic culture.
Hospitality in Nordic culture
According to a pateos article, the Old Norse and Germanic ethnic groups had a strong morality of hospitality that ultimately seeped over almost every aspect of these cultures. As a result, the two have developed a strong connection.
A historian and sociologist twitter thread explains what the practice has to do with various adaptations and answers to the Nordic “dynasty’s” special honor / shame economy (what is usually called Viking culture).
This blows people’s minds, so as an amateur historian and sociologist I will try to explain this development / cultural artifact. pic.twitter.com/vNF0MMpMFK
– Incompetent recipient of nepotism (@WallySierk) 29 May 2022
According to the thread, hospitality (offering meals, drinks and accommodation) in Viking culture was a task for individuals with higher social status compared to individuals with lower social status, but accepting hospitality generated an obligation or guilt on the part of the recipient.
So, in addition to giving glory to the giver, hospitality had the ability to generate shame in the recipient. When the Protestant Reformation rolled into northern Europe, it launched “the perfect free member of society, who does not attribute to anyone and does not owe anything.”
As status competition and loan repayments were major sources of disputes in Swedish society, society eventually changed and “minimized the formation of debts and obligations, and maximized the individual’s / family’s potential to be self-sufficient”, wrote @WallySierk.
Therefore, this “strange” practice was eventually about maintaining peace in society.
According to reports, specific performances were associated with hospitality; for example, in some nordic fairy tales, it was generally believed that it was unlucky for a visitor to knock after the sun had set. Second, the thought of murdering one’s own visitors was as frightening as the thought of killing one’s own family.
Giving or receiving hospitality was seen as a distant connection, with previous hosts or visitors considered acceptable targets by your enemies in some continuing resentment.
In Nordic society, hospitality and generosity were closely correlated, and there were specific (almost ritual) desires based on these virtues.
It was common practice to offer a gift or food to their guests in an attempt to appear generous. The guest was expected to decline the offer to avoid appearing greedy. The presenter would then claim the gift, and the visitor would accept it (to avoid offending the host). This expression was then expected to be repaid at some point in the future. It is a practice that is still widespread in many cultures today.
People who support Sweden
Several people on social media responded to the criticism by pointing out that the state is known for its generous refugee guidelines. According to Newsweek, the proportion of refugees in the state increased to 2,544,000 in 2019.
Others emphasized the state’s socially progressive regulations, which increase access to resources such as education and healthcare.
“We pay about 70% of our income in taxes. So that everyone in this nation has a roof over their heads and bread on the table. This includes all the war victims created by America, Russia, Turkey and others. And now you are joking about Sweden and its people because we do not cook for you, ”said a user quoted by Newsweek.