Viking Cruises

35 | Viking Explorer Society News Experience SCANDINAVIAN CULTURE From the cosy glow of hygge to the sacred ritual of fika and the balanced mindset of lagom, Scandinavian culture offers a blueprint for living well. HYGGE If you have not heard of hygge (pronounced "hoo-ga" in Danish, "hyh-geh" in Swedish and Norwegian), it is the Scandinavian art of happiness, living well, and enjoying each other's company, and it is a very easy concept to incorporate into day to day living. Although it is often associated with Denmark, the concept of hygge actually originated in Norway. In all Scandinavian countries, the notion has been part of life since the dawn of time (or so many of them would say anyway). Hygge is best described as the feeling of being content in any particular moment. A gathering of friends can be described as hygge, as can a bike ride through fresh fall leaves, or reading a book wrapped up nice and warm in front of a roaring fire. Hygge is making everyday events special, not necessarily by putting on a show, but by appreciating them in their simplicity. FIKA Fika means sitting down and having a cup of coffee and something on the side—often a cinnamon bun (kanelbullar) or a sweet baked good of some kind. And to Swedes it is sacred. Coffee is an even holier liquid than aquavit, and apart from the Dutch, Finns, Swedes and Danes drink more coffee per capita than anyone else in the world—the Italians are gallons behind. And while you can, of course, get a latte in Stockholm or Copenhagen, to be true traditional fika, it should be proper filter coffee, strong and black. Norwegian Friele filter coffee is served on board Viking ocean ships in Mamsen's. Fika, which can be both a noun and a verb (describing the act of having a fika) is also a way for Swedes to socialise and catch up in a non-committal way—20 -30 minutes for a coffee and a chat is much more common than meeting up for a beer. Fika is ultimately an extension of the Scandinavian emphasis on work-life balance, Waffles at Mamsen's

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