Is it rude to refuse food

[Jazzy]

Is it rude to refuse food when it is offered to you by a neighbor that you don't know very well? (Why/Why Not)

 

[Stravinsk]

It may be, but if I do and I think there is no offense in my reason, I'll tell them why. My neighbors offered me some food a few years ago during the holidays. They didn't know I was Vegan. This is a family with children and seem like decent people so in order to stop them buying food for me I will not eat, I explained that I could not accept their particular offering because it contained animal products. No one was offended and it was fine.

I suppose context matters. I live in suburbia. If I lived in a city apartment and some stranger just wanted to offer me food for no apparent reason I probably wouldn't outright refuse but I'd wonder why and likely not eat it. I guess the difference between this and the suburban neighbor is...one, they had a family, two, they are likely to be living next to me for some years. There's therefore not a reason to suspect anything nefarious.

 

[tango]

So much would depend on circumstance.

If you move to a new house and the new neighbors bring a plate of cookies around, it would seem rude to refuse the gift even if you decide you'd rather not eat them until you know their neighbors better. But if you have a specific allergy that would seem like a good time to ask if the cookies were gluten-free or had nuts in them or whatever else.

If some random person brought a casserole around I don't know I'd rush to eat it, not knowing the person or why they brought it, or what their hygiene standards were like etc. Depending on the circumstances I might still accept it rather than overtly reject it, but not actually eat it.

 

[Messy]

Is it rude to refuse food when it is offered to you by a neighbor that you don't know very well? (Why/Why Not)

If you can eat it yes. Muslim neighbours offered me food and candy after ramadan. Thanks very much. Tasty. But I heard from people who were into missions and got offered rotten food from poor people, that they always ate it, cause it was rude to say no. Milk gone for weeks or cheese with mold. Rude or not, I don't really care. Bye. Nope.