The Swedish pastime of having coffee with a good chat. Maybe even with a cinnamon bun.
- 2 February 2018
(Swedish pronunciation: [²fi?ka]) The Scandinavians are very good at creating names for certain activities or feelings. Take the Danish word 'hygge' the term used for making a cosy environment. With the Swedes having the word 'fika', which in English we could only translate as 'let's go for a coffee'. Fika is a part of everyday Swedish life, even in the workplace Swedes will be sure to have fika in the morning and afternoon. But fika is more than just having a coffee, it's about slowing down, taking time out to talk with friends and family, and it will be sure to come with some sort of pastry; cinnamon buns being an ever popular choice. Certainly when I first visited Stockholm for work, it was immediately obvious how often Swedes reach for a coffee as after every break in presentations someone would call out 'let's take a coffee'. Fika is not an alien concept to us Brits, we appear to be jumping head first into going for a coffee and bun with friends, it's just nice that there's actually a word for it. In fact there are a number of coffee shops that have even taken the word for the name of their business. And isn't it much nicer to sit down and enjoy your cup of coffee rather than having a take out and trying not to spill it whilst dodging the crowds on the pavement.
More Info
Stay in Contact