Sauna? Then it’s Finland!

Nowadays saunas can be found at practically every street corner, and they have become available to everyone who is in dire need of some hot-steam induced relaxation. But the sauna is by no means a modern invention, like most of the best things in life.

Actually, it has an age old tradition in Finland, where it was invented, and in the Baltic countries. Saunas have gone through many changes since their popularization around the world, so if you want the real deal, the best thing is to go straight to the source: Finland, the land of ice and hot steam.

At the beginning, saunas were pits dug into the ground, where people in Finland took shelter during the harsh winters. They used stones heated in a fireplace, which would give off heat for up to twelve hours, and it would become so hot inside the hut that people were able to take off their heavy winter clothes.

The industrial revolution brought on great changes for saunas: instead of hot stones heated on fire (which nowadays are only used by enthusiasts, or on special occasions such as Christmas or New Years), people started to use metal woodstoves with chimneys. The point of the sauna was to make the bathers sweat and thus get rid of toxins in their bodies, after which a bundle of birch twigs with fresh leaves would be used to slap (gently) the skin and clean pores and shed old skin cells.

As opposed to modern saunas, in Finland sauna are not seen as a way to lose weight or work out, but to relax, have fun and heal. There’s even an old Finnish saying that goes like this: “If booze, tar, or the sauna won’t help, the illness is fatal.”

Seeing as saunas are such an important part of Finnish culture, it’s only natural that a special code of conduct has been developed in relation to them. For example, it is not polite to keep the sauna door open while people are inside, because the temperatures cool down very quickly.

A beer after a sauna session is traditional in Finland, and sometimes beer is even poured on the hot stones, in order to release that yummy malty flavour. In some saunas, other scents are used as well, but sauna purists frown upon any other smell except birch leaves.

If we’re to believe the stereotype, Scandinavians are very uninhibited, but in the case of saunas inhibitions are not even a question. If you are going to a traditional sauna in Finland, you’ll also have to get rid o your inhibitions, because wearing a swimsuit, or any other clothing actually, can be considered a serious faux-pas. People o both genders (and children too) share a sauna without this having any shameful implications. The traditional sauna is a place where gender simply doesn’t exist. Actually, saunas are considered the most sacred places after churches.

Now, a few sauna-related customs that might seem a bit extreme at first (but they have been tried and tested countless times!): when you can’t stand the heat anymore, you have to jump into a lake, sea or swimming pool, and if no cold-water source is available, roll in the snow or even swim in a hole cut in the ice. The customary snacks after the sauna are sausages, accompanied by some delicious Finnish beer.

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