Fika: The Swedish Coffee Break

~ Karalee

As I mentioned in my February Favorites + Roundup post, the last week of February I was in Sweden for my master’s program. One morning me and my classmates had fika or the Swedish version of a coffee break. I have not heard of this concept outside of Sweden, and I wanted to share it with you.

Fika can be translated to a coffee and cake break. However, the concept is much more than a coffee break as it involves slowing down during your day and making time to socialize with your family, friends, or colleagues. Fika is a part of Swedish everyday life, and at work, the Swedes have fika in the mid-morning and afternoon with their colleagues. Swedes can have also have fika with their friends at a café or at their homes with their family. As I mentioned, fika is a coffee break, but coffee can be substituted with tea, juice, or any other drink. As far as food, Swedes often eat cakes, pastries, fruit, and sandwiches while they socialize.

When I had fika with my classmates, it was in the morning after we had the meetings with our thesis supervisors. We sat around a table that had coffee, tea, fruit, and kanelbullar or the Swedish version of cinnamon buns. We talked about how the meetings went, what we thought of the program so far, and just about our lives since this was only the second time we have met in person. We got so caught up in our conversations that we were almost late to our next lecture, but luckily the classroom was just down the stairs haha. From my experience with fika, I can understand the importance of slowing down. Our morning was busy with the meetings, but the fika gave us an opportunity to take a step back to socialize while enjoying some good food and drinks.

Have you heard of fika before? Would you incorporate fika into your daily life?

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26 thoughts on “Fika: The Swedish Coffee Break”

  4. My closest friend is Swedish, he lives in Sweden. So over the 5 years I have known him we have talked every day and I have gotten to know a lot of their customs and holidays etc. So I do know about Fika and I love the idea of it. We all could do with slowing down and it’s a lovely way to do it. 🙂
    Sarah 🌺 || Boxnip

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  8. This was sooo interesting to read about “Fika”!! We need to start implementing something like that in the US. We are so “Go go go” and never slow down it often feels. In India when I was there we did afternoon tea everyday and it was sooo lovely. Thanks for sharing, Karalee!!

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    1. I agree the US needs to implement a similar concept! Everything is to-go since everyone is in a rush to get to wherever they’re going.
      It’s interesting to hear how other countries like India slow down 😊

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  13. Fika sounds like something we should all incorporate in our lives! I have never heard of it before but it seems to me that it is a perfect way to destress so you can focus again. Thanks for sharing!

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