Meaningful Monday: Gather ‘Round

Good morning friends! MERRY CHRISTMAS! Okay, I know… I am a day late, but we did not have the chance to talk yesterday so better late than never! 🙂

I hope that you had a truly beautiful day with friends, family, and friends who you think should be family. Andy and I celebrated up here in the north with a delicious spread of breads, meats, veggies and cheeses making up what we call “Deutsches Frühstück” or German breakfast. We opened presents, went ice skating, called family around the globe, made sushi for dinner with friends, and wrapped it all up with watching Elf. All in all, it was an excellent day and the first time in quite a while I have woken up on Christmas in my own home.

Well, all the festivities aside, today is Monday, which means that it is another Meaningful Monday here on This Darling Adventure. So, let’s get started on today’s musings!

Fika. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, “fika” is a word in Swedish that is associated with having coffee with others, most of the time with pastries or sandwiches involved somehow (Yum!). In Sweden (and in Finland, too) it refers to more than just the act of drinking coffee itself, but rather participating in a “coffee break” with colleagues, friends, a date or family. It is the experience, the atmosphere, even the lighting involved in a group of people gathering together around freshly made coffee with delicious delicacies and simply enjoy one another’s company. Fika is the “whole enchilada.”*

For us in North America, most of the time the concept of fika escapes us. We order coffee to go as we rush in… and then out of Tim Hortons (or Starbucks) on the way to work. We pour ourselves a cup of coffee in the “break” room of the office and then quickly proceed to return to our desk to type away for endless hours. And we put a pot of coffee on just before studying for finals and sit gulping down the black gold until the wee hours of the morning accompanied solely by our piles of textbooks. Coffee is an in and out kind of mindset – the means to an end. Thus, we often miss the fact that there is so much more to be found in those grounds of glory.

What would happen if we took time to fika?

This time of the year there are so many holidays and social gatherings. It is easy to slip into the mindset of checking one after another thing off as we go from party, to event, to gathering, to whatever else we have going on. But take time for fika. Invite some friends over, even if you do not know them that well, and put a pot of coffee on to enjoy with some little dainties. Throw on some background music, play a board game or just hang out and you will watch fika work its magic. Remember, it is more than the coffee itself (although there is truly nothing better than a good cup of coffee). It is about the entire experience. Take time for fika and you will soon discover the beauty of gathering ’round the table with colleagues, friends, family, or your special someone.

Do you “fika”? Please feel free to comment below! I look forward to hearing from you! 🙂

*Want to learn more about fika? Click here for more information.