Most Finns go to sauna at least once or twice a week. According to the Finnish Sauna Society, there are approximately 1.6 million saunas in Finland today – in a country of just 5 million people. Most Finns have a home sauna and all Finnish summer cabins come with a sauna. Tourists can try Finnish saunas in most hotels in Finland, all gyms and swimming pools have saunas, and there are also public saunas in some cities.
Finland’s Sauna Tradition
Saunas have been used in Finland for centuries for health purposes, for relaxation and for social occasions. Finnish women used to deliver babies in saunas and Finland's saunas were also used for healing and for magic. The old Finnish smoke saunas have now been replaced by saunas with chimneys and although most saunas in Finland are still heated with wood, modern saunas often have electric stoves.
Traditionally a sauna has been a sacred environment where certain types of behaviour are not appropriate, including arguing or quarrelling. The “sauna” parlours in red light districts around the world also have nothing to do with real Finnish saunas.
Finnish Sauna Etiquette
Crucial elements in a Finnish sauna experience are löyly and vihta or vasta. Löyly means the process of throwing water on the hot stones on top of the stove (kiuas) to increase heat and humidity. Vihta or vasta is a whisk made with tender birch twigs that is used to gently beat the skin to improve circulation, help muscle relaxation and to remove impurities. The birch leaves also fill the sauna with a beautiful fresh scent.
The average temperature in a Finnish sauna is usually between 80 to 100 Celsius (176 to 212 Fahrenheit) although it can easily rise up to 120 C (248 F). A period of sitting in the sauna is followed by some cooling-off time, preferably spent swimming in a lake or at least a swimming pool. This routine can be repeated as many times as one wishes before a final shower. First-timers can start with short periods of just a few minutes in the sauna room followed by a swim.
It is polite towards others to wash thoroughly before going in a sauna. It is best not to eat a heavy meal before sauna, but afterwards it is a good idea to drink fluids and relax. Sauna is a place to relax and leave the day’s worries behind. Noise and hurry are not part of a Finnish sauna experience. Men and women generally go to sauna separately except within the family. And yes, in a Finnish sauna everyone is naked.
Sauna Health Benefits
Sauna has been used in Finland for centuries for health purposes. The profuse perspiration is believed to cleanse skin and remove impurities from the body. The heat relaxes muscles and relieves aches and pains, and the birch whisks are used to boost circulation and to aid removal of toxins. Most people sleep better after sauna. In Finland sauna is also used almost therapeutically for mental and emotional relaxation, cleansing and stress relief.
Most Finns firmly believe that everyone can, and should be able to, go to sauna as often as they wish. The only contraindications to sauna are acute fever and inflammations, and people who suffer from heart problems are generally advised to restrict the time they spend in the heat.
