Netizens in foreign countries in particular are busy discussing a post on Reddit that went viral as soon as it was posted on Twitter. In essence, the post describes how strange the treatment of friends who visit a house in Sweden is.
On a Reddit forum, there's a question what is the weirdest thing you should do in someone else's house because of their culture or religion? Well the answer is surprising.
"I remember going to a Swedish friend's house. While we were playing in her room her mother screamed that dinner was ready. She told me to WAIT in her room while they ate. That was so wild," wrote one reply.
Of course, many are surprised because in various countries, including Indonesia, it is commonplace to invite friends who come to eat together. This is what netizens are talking about.
"I'm from South America. The concept of not feeding guests is completely unthinkable here," wrote one netizen.
"In Arabia, when you visit them, they will feed you, your children, your parents, your friends, your family and all your neighbors," said another.
But the topic is getting viral because the discussion is widening everywhere. It even goes so far as to post a map of which countries are most likely to feed guests at home. Sweden, Norway to Denmark were rated the least likely. On the other hand, Spain, Italy, to Greece.
Even the discussion led to the experience of racism in Sweden with the hashtag #Swedengate.Netizens share racist experiences in that country. Others have posted studies on the dark side of Sweden, for example, people with foreign names tend to have a harder time finding work.
Not to mention the treatment of the Sami natives. "#Swedengate is good for reminding people how the Scandinavian country treats Sami people, taking away our language, land and livelihood," wrote one netizen.
But then, there were also many who defended Sweden's goodness. For example that the country's residents love to donate, also welcome immigrants who suffer in their home country.
"Swedes donate more per capita than any other country. Also receive the largest immigration. These immigrants also receive pensions as large as those who have worked here all their lives," reads one post.
"Indeed this happened sometimes in Sweden when I was little, but it's not something that is common. The majority of course feed if there are children in the house when it's time to eat," wrote the next comment.
There are also those who state the possible reasons behind it. "In the Nordic countries, you can't just walk into someone's house unannounced or uninvited. It's considered inappropriate," he wrote.
Swedish households are said to usually strictly schedule groceries in just the right amount so that if there are guests, sometimes there isn't enough.
Another wrote that it was not common in Sweden. "I live in Sweden and can confirm that it is not common. Such people can exist in any country. Only a minority," wrote another. After all, it's just a post on Reddit and needs to be checked again.