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In Finland, there’s a saying that one should behave in the sauna as reverently as in church. For many Finns, the sauna is not just a pastime but a deeply rooted part of life, though its significance may be hard to grasp for those unfamiliar with the culture.
Despite the country's small population of about 5 million, Finland is home to approximately 2 million saunas. Nearly all Finns, around 99%, visit the sauna regularly, typically more than once a week. In the past, it was common for everyone to go to the sauna on the same day, especially Saturday, which traditionally marked the beginning of a day of rest.
According to Dr. Lasse Viinikka, chairman of both the International Sauna Society and the Finnish Sauna Society, the most popular sauna days are now more varied, with Friday gaining popularity. Nevertheless, certain days still stand out: Christmas Eve and Midsummer Eve are considered essential sauna occasions for most Finns.
So, what exactly is the Finnish sauna experience? Dr. Viinikka describes it as a uniquely Finnish method of bathing that alternates between intense heat and cooling off. The sauna room is typically heated by a stove covered with hot stones, known as kiuas. Bathers sit on raised wooden benches so their entire body is above the stove level. To generate steam and increase the humidity, water is poured over the hot stones. This vapor is called löyly. Though the air temperature may slightly decrease with the added moisture, the sensation becomes more intense and invigorating.
A distinctive feature of the sauna ritual is the vasta or vihta, a bundle of fresh birch twigs used to lightly whip the skin. This practice boosts circulation and relaxes muscles, much like a gentle massage.
For beginners, a temperature around 194°F (90°C) is ideal, and individual sessions usually last 10 to 15 minutes. After each round, bathers step out to cool off, often by swimming in a nearby lake or sea, of which Finland has about 200,000. If that's not possible, a cold shower or simply stepping outside will do.
Most people repeat the heating and cooling cycle about three times before finishing with a thorough wash and a light meal. Since sweating can cause the body to lose between half a liter and one liter of fluid, staying hydrated is important.
In Finland, sauna-goers typically bathe nude. While this may seem strange to visitors, it is considered entirely non-sexual and natural. Men and women usually sauna separately unless they're family members. “The sauna is sacred,” Dr. Viinikka notes. “There’s no place for sexual connotations in it.”
Finland represents the westernmost edge of a broader Eastern European sauna tradition that has endured for thousands of years. The practice of sweat bathing is global, with the Vikings introducing similar habits to other parts of Scandinavia. Ethnologist Teppo Korhonen explains that this universal custom eases physical tension and helps the body relax after labor.
Historically, the earliest Finnish saunas were little more than dugouts in hillsides, similar to the sweat lodges used by Indigenous peoples in North America. By the late Iron Age, log-built smoke saunas had emerged, doubling as living quarters and barns. While most of Europe abandoned the sauna by the late 1600s, often viewing it as unsanitary or morally questionable, Finland preserved the tradition.
Korhonen adds that saunas were sometimes wrongly blamed for spreading illnesses like syphilis, when the real culprits were poor hygiene practices such as unsanitized bloodletting. In contrast, Finland never faced significant shortages of wood, a crucial sauna fuel, so the tradition remained intact.
Besides bathing, saunas in rural Finland served many practical functions: curing meats, washing clothes, and processing flax. In autumn, women would gather in saunas to spin linen, making the long task more bearable through shared company.
Historically, Finnish women often gave birth in the sauna. Hilkka Helsti, who is researching rural women’s birth experiences for her doctoral thesis, notes that this practice persisted well into the 1940s. The sauna was chosen not just for its warmth and privacy, but also for its symbolic significance as a sacred and clean space.
In cramped rural homes, the sauna offered seclusion. Though women bathed before childbirth, the purpose was typically to ease pain rather than to ensure sterility. Straw or cloths were placed on the sauna floor for the delivery.
Helsti also explains that societal shame surrounded pregnancy and childbirth. Preparations were kept hidden, and expectant mothers rarely appeared in public. Postpartum, mothers were isolated, sometimes for up to six weeks, until they underwent a purification ritual at church called "churching," after which they could rejoin communal life.
To Finns, the sauna offers both physical and mental rejuvenation. Its effects have been explored in numerous scientific studies and dissertations. While it doesn’t cure illnesses, it can relieve symptoms and poses little risk to healthy individuals. Most Finns take their first sauna between four and six months of age. Dr. Viinikka himself was just five days old during his first smoke sauna session.
Children can enjoy saunas, provided adults monitor them closely, as their smaller size makes them more sensitive to temperature changes. A short stay in a sauna at around 70°C is usually enough for toddlers.
Pregnant women can also safely use the sauna. Former University of Helsinki Chancellor Lauri Saxén's research confirmed that sauna use poses no risk to the unborn. In fact, 98% of pregnant Finnish women continue the tradition.
However, there are precautions. People with cardiovascular symptoms or high fevers should avoid the sauna. It’s also unsuitable for those with severe skin conditions or infections. Alcohol, which dulls the senses, should be avoided.
The sauna’s stress-relieving qualities have even found their way into politics and business. Its calming atmosphere helps level social hierarchies and facilitates open dialogue.
Sauna bathing in Finland has ancient roots, developing over centuries from smoke-filled dugouts to modern sauna rooms equipped with stoves fueled by wood, electricity, oil, or gas. Today, the sauna can be a modest wooden room or a lavish suite with a lounge and fireplace, though simplicity remains the ideal.
The word löyly, referring to the steam from the stove stones, captures the essence of the sauna ritual. The cycle of heating, sweating, whisking, washing, and cooling offers a full-body refreshment, both literal and symbolic. For many, the experience feels transformative, like a mental and emotional rebirth.
In Finnish culture, the sauna has always been more than a place to wash. It was once the center of domestic life, used for healing, childbirth, and even preparing the dead for burial. It was the “poor man’s pharmacy,” a site of folk medicine and rituals, and a space to work flax, cure meat, and brew malt.
Though urban saunas began as shared facilities in apartment blocks, the modern preference is for private saunas, even in small flats. Public saunas, once common, have largely disappeared, though saunas remain essential in sports centers, hotels, and vacation homes.
Even Finnish soldiers built makeshift saunas during wartime. A World War II military manual stated that a battalion needed just eight hours to build, heat, and bathe in saunas. Wherever they go, whether as immigrants, athletes, or peacekeepers, Finns bring their sauna tradition with them. One was even set up in the 1936 Olympic Village in Berlin for Finnish athletes, helping spread sauna culture across Europe. According to Foreign Secretary Pertti Torstila, Finnish peacekeepers have continued the tradition in places like Egypt, Namibia, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
Most people can safely enjoy the sauna, though anyone with serious illness should consult a doctor. Extreme heat, sudden temperature changes, and overexposure can stress the cardiovascular system. But when used in moderation, the sauna alleviates tension, eases muscle and joint pain, and promotes restful sleep.
Sauna bathing can also enhance physical appearance. In literature, Finnish writer Ilmari Kianto described a character whose face seemed transformed by the löyly, as if even emotional burdens melted away in the heat.
Though there are no strict rules, a typical sauna session includes multiple rounds of heating and cooling, often capped with a refreshing swim. The birch whisk is essential for many, releasing a pleasant aroma and stimulating circulation. Even dried or frozen whisks can be used when fresh ones are out of season.
Ultimately, the sauna provides a holistic sense of cleansing, both of body and soul. After a thorough session, bathers often describe a euphoric calm, feeling renewed and at peace.
For Finns, the sauna is sacred. From early childhood, they are taught to respect it. There’s no tolerance for indecency or rowdiness. While gender-separated bathing is the norm in Finland, mixed-gender saunas abroad can be uncomfortable for some Finns, not because they are improper, but because they differ from Finnish customs.
What truly distorts the sauna's image are businesses misusing the term “sauna” for non-traditional activities, such as adult entertainment parlors. Misleading media stories about supposed dangers of sauna bathing, often not backed by evidence, also contribute to misunderstandings.
Finns are also skeptical of artificial “sweat gadgets” sold under the name of sauna, such as plastic suits or zipped bags that simulate heat while watching TV. These gimmicks, in their view, miss the point entirely.
From ancient rituals to modern relaxation, the Finnish sauna remains a pillar of national life. As Maila Talvio once wrote: “There is nothing that Finns have been so unanimous about as their sauna… as long as there are children born in their native land, as long as the invitation still comes from the porch threshold in the evening twilight: ‘The sauna is ready.’”
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