Louisiana
Louisiana could use more of Sweden’s centuries-old and beloved fika tradition
A friend recently returned from a vacation to Sweden and shared photos from his trip, mentioning a word I hadn’t heard before: fika.
Something about the way he used the word on his social media post pulled me in. The word sounded like something I would appreciate.
Loosely translated, a fika is a Swedish coffee break.
I don’t drink coffee. I’ve never been to Sweden, but I was right about appreciating the word and what it represents.
I decided to contact my friend Erika Sunnegardh. She’s a Swede, an international opera soprano who made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2006 — and my go-to source for all things Swedish.
I messaged her and learned she was on a boat off the coast of Portugal. Even so, she took the time to send me a voice message with her take on fika.
She said it’s been around for several hundred years, but the word itself took hold around 1910. Cleverly, the word came about by someone rearranging the letters of the Swedish word for coffee, kaffi. She said that it started as something women did, gathering over coffee to meet and talk. She used the word “lighthearted” to describe its origins.
Eventually, fika became a part of everyday Swedish life.
She emphasized that fika is about much more than coffee.
Logistically, sweet treats are mandatory. They call them fika bread — cinnamon rolls, cardamom buns, pastry or the like.
However, cookies are also a part of fika. She shared a detail that struck me as deeply Swedish.
“Tradition has it you should treat seven different kinds of cookies,” she said. “No less, because then you’re stingy, and no more, because then you’re showing off. Seven is the magic number.”
According to the Visit Sweden website, there are seven specific types of cookies that are the most traditional fika cookies: Brussels cookies, chocolate slices, dream cookies (a type of meringue cookie that melts in the mouth), raspberry caves, oat biscuits, nut biscuits and chessboards (two-tone shortbread cookies).
Sunnegardh told me that morning and afternoon fika are a part of daily life in Swedish workplaces. Work stops. Everybody leaves their desk. Someone may stay to cover the office phones, but fika happens, lasting 10 or 15 minutes — never more than 20. People bring their own treats and their personal phones are down. Tea is permitted for the noncoffee drinkers.
Lemon and chocolate Hubig’s Pies, cut open to show their fillings, make a decadent coffee break snack. Chocolate rejoined the lineup for flavors as the beloved New Orleans hand pie continues its gradual return to the full spectrum of flavors. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
“It simply is what it is,” Erika told me from her boat. “It can’t be degraded or weirded out by any digital thing. I have never heard of anyone skipping fika just because the world has changed.”
I recognized fika from the start.
Not from Sweden, but from Mississippi.
My parents’ home was fika central.
Throughout the day — almost any day — usually mid-morning or mid-afternoon, people knocked on the door and were welcomed in. My mother would put on coffee. Somehow, there was almost always cake.
People sat down and visited, and the day went wherever it went. Now that I think about it, they usually stopped by in the mornings around 10 and in the afternoons around 2, which coincides nicely with the Swedish tradition.
My parents led productive, even busy lives, but I never remember Mom not sitting to visit when guests arrived — and my dad too when he was home.
They didn’t call it fika, of course. They didn’t call it anything. It was just how things were.
Things stayed that way for my parents until my dad died and my mother moved away from our family home to be closer to my youngest brother.
The tradition was not passed to the next generation. Dropping by unannounced is unheard of now. We rarely sit and visit without an agenda. We schedule coffee weeks out.
I do like calling it fika.
Names change things.
What was an interruption becomes a ritual. What felt like lost time becomes the point.
If fika is the word that gets people to put their phones down and sit with each other — really sit, with something sweet nearby and no particular reason to leave — then I am for it.
My mother never needed a word for it. She just opened the door.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – It’s Election Day, and many voters are deciding on some closely watched primary run-offs, which will determine who appears on the ballot in November.
Polls are open as of 7 a.m. on June 27 and will close at 8 p.m. You will still be able to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m.
Election coverage
Fox 8 will bring you analysis as the numbers come in. Our election coverage starts at 9 p.m. on our streaming apps and online.
Who’s on the ballot?
Today is the Republican primary runoff between Stephanie Hilferty and John Young for Louisiana Public Service Commission District 1.
And in the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 race, Joseph Cao and Ellie Schroder are going head-to-head.
Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming and Congresswoman Julia Letlow face off for the Republican U.S Senate nomination.
This week, a JMC Analytics poll put Fleming five points higher than Letlow.
Gary Crockett and Jamie Davis are the two candidates on the U.S Senate Democratic ballot.
On May 16, Davis got 47 percent of the vote statewide in the Democratic primary. Crockett got 26 percent of the vote.
Fox 8 interviewed the Republican and Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. You can watch those interviews below:
Voters will also decide how much they want to fund 140 St. Tammany sheriff’s deputies. Fox 8 covered this proposal extensively, and voters can learn more HERE.
New party primary rules
In June 27th’s runoff, voters must stick with the same party they selected in the May election. For example, those who voted Republican in May must vote Republican in this runoff.
However, in the November general election, all voters can select any candidate on the ballot regardless of party.
The Louisiana Secretary of State website lists requirements voters should know before heading to the polls.
What should I bring?
Be prepared to show one of the following before voting:
- a driver’s license;
- a Louisiana Special ID;
- LA Wallet digital driver’s license;
- a United States military identification card that contains your name and picture; or
- some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.
Where do I vote?
You can use the Louisiana Voter Portal to find where you vote on election day, or you can call your parish Registrar of Voters Office. Your voter information card, which is sent by mail, lists your polling place.
Click HERE to find your voting precinct by entering personal information, such as your zip code. This method gives you the most specific information.
Can I vote by mail?
In Louisiana, only certain citizens can vote by mail, including:
- military or overseas citizens;
- senior citizens (65+);
- voters with disabilities;
- higher education students & professors;
- religious clergy;
- voters temporarily absent during early voting and election day;
- voters who moved to a new parish more than 100 miles from former residence within 30 days of election;
- persons involuntarily confined to institution;
- sequestered jurors;
- voters hospitalized or who expect to be hospitalized during early voting and election day;
- voters employed upon state waters;
- voters incarcerated for non-felony with sheriff’s certification; and
- participants in the state’s address confidentiality program.
For more information, click HERE.
What if I have a disability?
People with visual impairments and the person assisting them in voting may go to the front of the line at their polling place.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, a voter is entitled to receive assistance while voting if they are unable to read or unable to vote without assistance because of a physical disability, including being visually impaired. A voter may choose to use the audio ballot instead of receiving assistance.
However, voters must either file a statement with the registrar in person or by mail before the election if they need assistance in voting or complete an affidavit and/or provide specific documentation to the commissioner on election day.
For more information, click HERE.
Rules on advocating
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, you should never wear, hand out, or display anything advocating for or against any candidate, proposition, or political party appearing on the ballot in the election while voting. All polling places have a 600 foot campaign free zone.
To see what exactly will be on your ballot, find polling locations, and more, you can go to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website HERE.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – After being hired as the new head coach of the Southern Jaguars, Marshall Faulk made the trip to Central Louisiana to help promote his program.
“These are my eyes for the talent in this area,” Faulk told KALB. “We’re aggressive about recruiting the State of Louisiana, and so when there’s good talent and players coming up here, hanging out with some of the people that I know.”
Southern is Faulk’s first head coaching job after spending last season as an assistant at Colorado.
“I’ve done a lot of stuff in the states that I’ve lived,” Faulk said. “Being born here, I hadn’t done a lot around helping youth sports and helping kids in this environment. I’ve got a lot of information and education around football and things that I can give, and this is a great opportunity to give back.”
The Jaguars only won two games in 2025, but are just two years removed from a SWAC Championship Game appearance.
“Just the guys learning how to practice their willingness to learn,” Faulk said on the traits he’s seen thus far from his team. “They’re wanting their desire to get better, and that’s all you want.”
Southern opens up their season on August 29 against Alabama State at the Birmingham Football Classic.
Click here to report a typo. Please provide the title of the article in your email.
Copyright 2026 KALB. All rights reserved.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official completion of the $128 million I-20 Major Rehabilitation Project in Bossier and Caddo Parishes.
[Above photo by Louisiana DOTD]
The project, noted as being one of the largest investments in the I-20 corridor in many years, included a total rebuild of all the travel lanes and ramps at five interchanges from near Hamilton Road to LA 782-2 (Industrial Drive) in Bossier City.
Work began on this I-20 project in September 2023, which included removing all of the original pavement and roadway base down to the dirt – fully reconstructing them with all new material, the first project of its kind for this section of interstate since it was built in the 1960s.
The project also included extensive concrete panel replacements across the Red River on sections of I-20 in Shreveport; drainage structure installation and improvements; new overhead signage and related components; updated street lighting, a new barrier wall, and headlight glare screens; plus fresh roadway striping and reflectorized pavement markings.
The agency said contractors completed all major construction work such as concrete paving by late 2025, with final items – including permanent roadway striping and signage – finished over the last several months.
“The I-20 project is a testament to what we can accomplish when collaboration is at the forefront and everyone works toward a common goal, which is to deliver a large-scale investment that positively impacts the quality of life for thousands of citizens,” noted Governor Jeff Landry (R) in a statement.
“Executing such a vast infrastructure improvement also demonstrates government accountability, effective project management, and a commitment to delivering on our promises,” he said.
“The I-20 major rehabilitation project was a transformational investment in one of the most vital transportation corridors in not only Louisiana, but also across the entire southern United States,” added Glenn Ledet, Louisiana DOTD secretary. “Meaningful advancements like this one help ensure reliability, safety, and resilience – all of which are essential to strengthening the larger transportation network.”
Related articles
-
San Francisco, CA8 minutes agoServing up a slice of Palestine at Old Jerusalem in the Mission District
-
Dallas, TX11 minutes agoAll-day restaurant and patio coming to Dallas’ Knox and more top stories
-
Miami, FL17 minutes agoBugtopia takes center stage at Zoo Miami
-
Boston, MA23 minutes agoWhat JJ Peterka Will Add to the Bruins’ Roster, ‘He’s Got an Elite Shot’ | Boston Bruins
-
Denver, CO26 minutes agoThis Boulder farm dinner serves up midsummer Slavic vibes with James Beard-worthy fare
-
Seattle, WA32 minutes agoSeattle Pride weekend to bring parade, festivals and World Cup crowds
-
San Diego, CA38 minutes agoYour Produce Man – Great produce at the San Diego Farmers Market! 8am
-
Milwaukee, WI41 minutes agoSee the corpse flower in bloom this weekend at the Domes
