What’s the deal with “fika”? 🤔
Fika is about creating space, about slowing down. For us Swedes, fika is an integral part of everyday life. It’s a reason for us to meet up with friends (whether in a café or in someone’s home), to spend time together, to take a break.
I don’t know what it’s like these days, but back in the day when I worked in an office in Sweden, in addition to an hour for lunch, you would have a 15-minute coffee break (fika break) in the morning and another 15-minute break in the afternoon. Usually at 10am and 3pm. It was a great way to ensure that we stepped away from our desks and it provided an opportunity for some chit-chat with your colleagues.
A fika often includes something to eat, like a pastry, cake, or biscuit, sometimes a sandwich. The fika-favourite is the cinnamon bun (or cinnamon roll).
The cinnamon bun was first created around 1920. Ingredients that had been rationed during WWI were once again more widely available, but they were expensive so it was a luxury item found in cafés. In the 1950s, the baking of cinnamon buns at home gained popularity and it has been a fika-favourite ever since.
When I moved to where I live now, I discovered that there is a Swedish lady selling a wide variety of cinnamon buns at the local market every Saturday (her vegan cinnamon buns are excellent!). Having lived abroad for more than 15 years, I did a little happy dance when I realised that I could get freshly baked cinnamon buns every week without having to travel to Sweden or the nearest IKEA store!
☝️ Why is fika important?
More and more people feel the need to carve out space to breathe and to just be. This is where fika comes in, how it’s a helpful “custom” in creating space for being.
Related to the work I do it is important to me that the vibe and energy of fika are present, as the space created is where our souls meet.
What’s your favourite way of creating a pause in your everyday? If you feel like sharing, let me know in the comments.
Not surprisingly, mine is having a fika. 😄
#fika #cinnamonbuns #cinnamonrolls
