| |
| |
| |
"Eet smakelijk" is the Dutch equivalent of "bon appétit." It seems like every European culture has a variant. Spain, yes; Germany, yes. I've asked people from Italy, Poland, and Sweden — they all have a form of it. Romania, yes. The French of course.
The usage is widespread, with regional variations. Whatever the differences, the phrase is intimately connected with strong social code. The phrase is compulsory within the local rules. Generally-speaking, if you see somebody eating and they are within a regionally-specific zone of familiarity, you have to wish them a good meal. Sometimes this is a complete stranger with whom you might not otherwise ever interact.
"Enjoy your meal" is a way to translate eet smakelijk into English, but there's no corresponding tradition. One is not expected in anglophone cultures to talk about other peoples' food. But in nearly every Continental European language, (if not every one) there is a phrase for "enjoy your meal" which is often requisite in order to be polite.
| |