Sauna

If you do not know what a sauna is then you must try it as the Sauna seems to be one of the essences of Finland.

The Turkish Bath, or the Arabic Hammam is very similar to the Finnish sauna. There are even public saunas but almost everybody seems to have their own sauna, even in the tiniest apartment. And if not in the apartment itself, then there almost certainly is one commune sauna in the house that you are able to have your own fixed weekly sauna-appointment, one for each apartment in the house.
There are a lot of different types of saunas, there is the most common home-sauna, the electrically heated one and there are also the wooden heated saunas which are the best and if you are ever invited into a smoke-sauna do nto hesitate, it is said to be a very different experience from any other type of saunas.

There is a very strict code of who can go into the sauna together.
Either men and women always separately, or you go together with your own family. Or if all go mixed into the same sauna it is customary to wear swimwear.
It is also customary to go outside from the sauna wrapped up in a towel for some fresh air in between the steam-baths. If you are near a lake or the sea you usually go swimming in the pause, if indoors you just go out of the sauna for some cooler air and possibly a drink.

And if you are in a sauna without the above mentioned choices of going either swimming or rolling in the snow, you normally would go out on to the balcony or into the garden for some fresh air is the option. The Finns also like to have a little beer or cider as drinks on their bathing pauses.
If invited to a sauna especially heated up for you as a guest, it would be rude to decline and only medical reasons would do for not accepting such an invitation.

As having a sauna is something quite natural for the Finns and all do it their own style, there is no right or wrong in having a sauna. Just do like the others present, but if you feel too hot do not feel embarrassed to go out and rest for a while. Some like it hot, others don’t. Some Finns like throwing water on the stones to get more heat and steam, others don’t. Others can sit for hours in a medium hot sauna and others like it fast and very hot.  Just do what you feel is right for you, and ask the person who invited you to the sauna, your bath-tutor.

But you should try to beat yourself with a “vasta” or “vihta”, a bundle of green-leafed birch-twigs. If you use the word Vihta or Vasta for your birch-twigs depends on which area fo Finland you are in, or your sauna-tutor is from. This massage really gives your skin a nice feeling and relaxes you with the essential oils that the leaves

As the sauna is a place to relax and take it easy, it is no place for hurry. It is also one of the few places where Finns might forget about their so precious work and talk about something completely different and closer to their own soul.