Nights out may be back on in many countries, but the Swedish concept of ‘fredagsmys’ champions spending Friday evenings on your sofa – preferably with tacos.
For the past three decades, supermarket-bought taco shell or tortilla kits have been a go-to Friday night dish in Sweden, which is one of the biggest consumers of Mexican food in Europe. And tacos have become the core symbol of a much-loved Nordic concept called fredagsmys, or ‘cosy Friday’.
Instead of staying late at the office, or going out for drinks with colleagues, fredagsmys is about embracing a softer end to the working week, by heading home early to enjoy a feel-good, no-frills meal, followed by crisps or sweets on the sofa. Families usually watch TV or a movie together, with blankets and candles brought in as essential accessories during the long, dark winter. “You just relax at the end of the week, and you eat nice food, hang out with your family and spend time together,” explains Waxin.
I – Word Understanding
Go-to – regular / trusted or relied
Cosy – giving a feeling of comfort, warmth and relaxation
No-frills – providing only the most important or basic things; not fancy or luxurious
II – Have Your Say
1, How do you usually spend your Friday nights? If given a chance, how would you rather spend your Friday nights?
2, What day of the week do you consider your “cosy day”? What do you usually do to feel comfort and relaxation?
3, Do you love Mexican food? Which Mexican food is popular in your country?
4, What foods do you consider comfort foods?
822 Fredagsmys: The unlikely symbol of Sweden’s ‘cosy Friday’
