Fika can take place anywhere - at a café, workplace, school, home, or outdoors. Although fika is usually a social activity, it's also possible to fika alone. Fika often occurs at workplaces and usually takes place in the afternoon when everyone feels a bit tired and needs a break, and it's done during paid worktime. It's a way to gather and chat with coworkers and take a break from what you're doing.
When having fika with friends during leisure time, the moment is longer and it's almost obligatory to have something to eat with the drink, such as a Swedish cinnamon bun or sandwich.
In Sweden, there is a wide range of so-called "fikabröd" which is sweet bread in some form, such as cinnamon buns, Vienna bread, muffins, or cakes.
The beverage consumed most during fika is coffee. Swedes love coffee, and Sweden ranks 3rd in the world (2023) among countries that consume the most kilograms of coffee per capita (source).
Why is Fika so popular among Swedes?
There is a long tradition of consuming coffee and sweet bread. Coffee was introduced as early as the 1600s, and fikabröd became popular in the 1800s when the availability of wheat flour and sugar increased. Initially, this was only for the nobility and the rich, but it became popular among the common people when the price went down and everyone could afford to fika (source).
At work, fika takes place during paid worktime, and it's okay to sit for 10-20 minutes with coworkers, and it's seen as an activity that promotes cooperation between colleagues and contributes to a sense of well-being. It's thus an accepted longer break from work, which is clearly popular. Among students, consuming coffee and other caffeinated beverages is popular, which makes fika a part of student life. During leisure time and at home, it's often an excuse to eat something sweet, with the excuse that it's a fika :)
