Living in Sweden for about one month, and I found that we really have a lot of big differences. Cultural differences reflect in details.
Yesterday and the day before yesterday I had two parties, and this is only for relatives, so we also have that kind in China.
The first one is for my wonderful Swedish grandmother's 80th birthday. And we should dress in formal dresses, but in China when the grandparents have such a big important birthday we don't wear these, just the clothes we usually wear. For me, ok, jeans of course! And the party was held at grandmother's house, but all the relatives always gather in a restaurant when I was in China.
In Sweden, you would first meet everyone, hug or shake hands with them, and find the group to join in, then you will have some beers or champagnes or soft drinks in noble glasses, sometimes the relatives would serve it to you, sometimes you just take it from the tea table, and get some snacks, usually biscuits and cakes, then you begin talking with people in the group you choose, it could be any topics, and after that you can even leave and find another one to talk to.
In China, also meet everyone, but not hug or shake hands with, only say 'Hello' sometimes even in a distance as we think relatives can be more arbitrary. And then in a big group, but maybe not everyone should be there, also several groups, and we all stand as it's impolite to sit at the table. Only like children when they find there are sofas around and would sit there. If parents or grandparents say let's sit down then we will find a place.
When we sat down we still talked with each other, but in Sweden, even in a table can be two or three groups to talk about different topics, so the voices shouldn't be too loud, compare to China, we would talk much louder as one table only talk about one topic, everyone has to hear what one is talking about, and like this kind of big meeting we only have round tables so of course too quiet is not good. And as we all know that the way we eat food is quite different, not only we use chopsticks Swedish use forks and knives, but also every dish everyone would get it time to time with their own chopsticks, and just turn the table to get it, only one piece every time, but in Sweden, they have a public spoon or fork for every dish, then if you want you have to use that and the dish is usually not at the table you sit to eat!
Both Sweden and China have 'cheers', but the difference is that in Sweden you just stand up and cheers, in China, often the children and their parents have to go to every table to cheer to others, and when someone comes, everyone has to stand up, so sometimes it's hard to have time to eat!
After the meal as it's the same to have birthday cake!
Then in Sweden again, first you can leave the table and someone would ask you coffee or tea, you can choose one and wait to enjoy them, most Swedish enjoy coffee, but to Chinese, tea is the favourite, but the way Swedish make the tea is totally different from in China, but I still have to say that I like both! After these are prepared well, it's time to get cake! Chocolate cake is the main cake I think, as every birthday I can get that, and it's made by adults themselves! Delicious!
When you finish the cake, it's time to sing birthday song, and as well, blow the candle, with a kind of shouting by all the relatives but I had no idea what that means, they would use some candles that are on the table instead.
What about China? Well, we first turn off the light then everyone sings birthday song to the one who has the birthday, and often the waiters would help take out the cake with candles on that, these candles are always made to be like the ages, so then blow these candles. And we will turn on the light again. Sometimes the restaurant will play the birthday songs for us.
The cake is bought from the shop so actually not many like the cream on it, for the children, they may even play with the cream! Just throw it on other's face! It's quite fun!
The rest time is to talk with others, and it depends on which day it is, it's almost the same.
When we're going to leave, what we do is almost the same as how we greet to each other.
The second is for my dear host sister's 18th birthday! Actually it's almost the same but you can wear jeans, then.
It's the life of me in my China and Swden, maybe it's not totally same, welcome to point out about your party!
Yesterday and the day before yesterday I had two parties, and this is only for relatives, so we also have that kind in China.
The first one is for my wonderful Swedish grandmother's 80th birthday. And we should dress in formal dresses, but in China when the grandparents have such a big important birthday we don't wear these, just the clothes we usually wear. For me, ok, jeans of course! And the party was held at grandmother's house, but all the relatives always gather in a restaurant when I was in China.
In Sweden, you would first meet everyone, hug or shake hands with them, and find the group to join in, then you will have some beers or champagnes or soft drinks in noble glasses, sometimes the relatives would serve it to you, sometimes you just take it from the tea table, and get some snacks, usually biscuits and cakes, then you begin talking with people in the group you choose, it could be any topics, and after that you can even leave and find another one to talk to.
In China, also meet everyone, but not hug or shake hands with, only say 'Hello' sometimes even in a distance as we think relatives can be more arbitrary. And then in a big group, but maybe not everyone should be there, also several groups, and we all stand as it's impolite to sit at the table. Only like children when they find there are sofas around and would sit there. If parents or grandparents say let's sit down then we will find a place.
When we sat down we still talked with each other, but in Sweden, even in a table can be two or three groups to talk about different topics, so the voices shouldn't be too loud, compare to China, we would talk much louder as one table only talk about one topic, everyone has to hear what one is talking about, and like this kind of big meeting we only have round tables so of course too quiet is not good. And as we all know that the way we eat food is quite different, not only we use chopsticks Swedish use forks and knives, but also every dish everyone would get it time to time with their own chopsticks, and just turn the table to get it, only one piece every time, but in Sweden, they have a public spoon or fork for every dish, then if you want you have to use that and the dish is usually not at the table you sit to eat!
Both Sweden and China have 'cheers', but the difference is that in Sweden you just stand up and cheers, in China, often the children and their parents have to go to every table to cheer to others, and when someone comes, everyone has to stand up, so sometimes it's hard to have time to eat!
After the meal as it's the same to have birthday cake!
Then in Sweden again, first you can leave the table and someone would ask you coffee or tea, you can choose one and wait to enjoy them, most Swedish enjoy coffee, but to Chinese, tea is the favourite, but the way Swedish make the tea is totally different from in China, but I still have to say that I like both! After these are prepared well, it's time to get cake! Chocolate cake is the main cake I think, as every birthday I can get that, and it's made by adults themselves! Delicious!
When you finish the cake, it's time to sing birthday song, and as well, blow the candle, with a kind of shouting by all the relatives but I had no idea what that means, they would use some candles that are on the table instead.
What about China? Well, we first turn off the light then everyone sings birthday song to the one who has the birthday, and often the waiters would help take out the cake with candles on that, these candles are always made to be like the ages, so then blow these candles. And we will turn on the light again. Sometimes the restaurant will play the birthday songs for us.
The cake is bought from the shop so actually not many like the cream on it, for the children, they may even play with the cream! Just throw it on other's face! It's quite fun!
The rest time is to talk with others, and it depends on which day it is, it's almost the same.
When we're going to leave, what we do is almost the same as how we greet to each other.
The second is for my dear host sister's 18th birthday! Actually it's almost the same but you can wear jeans, then.
It's the life of me in my China and Swden, maybe it's not totally same, welcome to point out about your party!
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