I'm Dutch and I'd also think a "thank you for dinner" feels like: "Thanks for the meal, but not all the other things (like the gezelligheid).". The meal you can

I'm Dutch and I'd also think a "thank you for dinner" feels like: "Thanks for the meal, but not all the other things (like the gezelligheid).". The meal you can get anywhere. But the gezelligheid is the connection, the real thing to be grateful for. If you leave sooner than expected you also need a bit of a good reason. We have this rhyme (my grand parents had in on a tile in the hallway): "Wie hier als vriend naar binnen gaat, komt nooit te vroeg maar steeds te laat"? Meaning: "Who enters here as a friend will never be early but always late." I have to say, I'm like that, my wife definitely isn't, so it's not really a law of nature. But where I live (in the south) it's common for friends to just walk around the back of the house and walk into the door unannounced, it's a sign of true closeness. Though I also think that is getting less common. Idk, might be the internet diluting all cultures.