Takk for Maten

Norwegians always say thank you. In Norway, you thank the cook; you thank the people around the table, and perhaps you even thank providence for providing you with life-sustaining food. “Takk for maten” means “Thank you for the food.” During this season of giving and gathering, of eating and sharing, it’s nice to say thank you.

In America, we celebrate Thanksgiving in remembrance of the original meal shared between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. It’s also the holiday that kicks off a month-long marathon of food and family, anchored by the dining table, which is the heart of every home. Whether you eat at the kitchen table or the coffee table, there’s something special about presenting the food in a way that shows you care. Nowadays, formal dining rooms are giving way to great rooms and open spaces. Thanksgiving dinner can be a porch party or a shindig in a barn. Our festivities are fluid, moveable feasts. We’ve shed the shackles of formality and are no longer bound by tradition. And yet, we keep the holiday rituals we care about.

Do you have a favorite bowl for ice cream? A tablecloth handed down from your grandmother? Placemats decorated with your children’s handprints? All of these items are imbued with memories. They are totems of love that make the food we serve taste better and the time we spend together more meaningful. And maybe you still set the table with the good china and crystal, fresh flowers and sterling silver flatware, candles and little pumpkin place card holders. And the memories come flooding back.

In Norway, there’s another phrase for expressing gratitude – “Takk for sist.” Roughly translated, it means, “Thank you for the last time.” It’s an acknowledgement of past times together. It’s an affirmation of why all our holiday rituals and special recipes matter. Thanks for the memories.

Ekornes has designed a collection of dining tables and chairs that work with your décor and your meals, regardless of your personal style and holiday philosophy. The chairs are completely customizable and come in a myriad of fabric and leather choices. Best of all, they recline with you, while you’re still at the table, so you can just sit and be thankful.

Here’s how it works: Stressless Dining is equipped with BalanceAdapt to respond to your body’s movements and automatically adjust the seat and back position – without levers or handles. When you lean forward to eat, the seat angle reacts to your movement and immediately reduces the pressure under your legs while still supporting your back. If you want to completely relax, you can lean back. The seat will slide forward to give you a more open and comfortable sitting position.

The tables are classic Stressless chic, lean and elegant, simple and sleek, with an integrated leaf-insert storage system for convenience. These tables literally fit anywhere and can expand to feed a crowd or scale back to suit an intimate gathering of your inner circle.

It’s called Stressless Dining. And it’s an entirely unique way to eat. From Norway with love.

Find a dealer near you and experience the oohs and ahhs of Stressless Dining for yourself.

You’ll find yourself saying “Tusen takk, Ekornes” – A thousand thank-yous!