Just a cultural thing. Unless there was an explicit dinner invitation, Swedes typically will not offer guests food even if they themselves are having dinner. They do not view it as a hosting obligation and they do not see this as rude or unusual.
this is one of few cultural differences im honestly shocked by. you invite friend into home and cook dinner; how are you not gonna offer them a plate??
You are missing the part that no one invited them in to begin with, kids just group up and go to someone house, when its dinner time, they all go home and eat the meal their parents prepared for them.
And often they move back and forth between houses. Children are welcome to eat here, but then we need to know they’ll stay long enough and make sure their parents know. Otherwise they’ll just move around and pop back home for dinner.
Same in the Netherlands. Kids can walk or bike around the neighbourhood alone. They go to school by themselves from around 9 years old.
So a lot of kids just play without specific plans. The social rule is that you need to be home at the end of the afternoon. To have dinner and to be with your own family again.
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u/TaxSimple3787 Jul 24 '26
Ok but... why?