The same in the Balkan countries... --- ...Alejandra - the guest refusing and then host insisting on something is a part of the social code; the guest hence expresses his intent not to overstay the welcome and the host confirms that the guest staying a bit longer is no imposition at all.

Funny enough, this also happens between close friends where there's no need for any kind of 'protocol', which just goes to show how deeply-rooted the cultural norms are.

Source author: Andrej Skrinjaric andrejs@diplomacy.edu