In Sweden we love a good 'fika'

Fika

Fika (Swedish pronunciation:  [²fiːka]) is an important concept in Swedish culture with the basic meaning "to have coffee".

When working – at home or in the office – we take breaks to fika, which we call a fikapaus.

We’ll often have a little something to go with our coffee too, like a cinnamon bun or a cookie. These are referred to as fikabröd (“fika bread”).

At work, it’s normal to have one fika in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

This Swedish tradition is shared by Swedish companies worldwide – perhaps you already have fika breaks of your own?

 

Typical Fika times

9:30-9:45 and 14:30-14:45.

 

The unwritten rules of a Swedish fika

Don’t talk about work, politics or religion – stick to sports, weather, relationships and kids. TV used to be a common topic of conversation, but nowadays we hardly ever watch the same things!

If we’re getting along well, we might even put ourselves out there and talk about embarrassing moments and the like.