For thousands of years, sauna has been an essential part of Finnish culture and tradition - according to some, almost like a religion. Sauna is a place to wash, relax, meditate, have meetings, make important decisions - but not a place for sex. Until the mid-1900's, it was also a place to give birth. It is no wonder then that also Finns living abroad want to build a sauna for themselves - whether in downtown Berlin or Arabian desert.

The roots of sauna culture are in the agrarian society of past centuries. But urbanization has not lessened its importance. It is very common to find a sauna in a Finnish home, summer cottage, or the reception area of a business. In fact, it is estimated that in Finland, with five million people, there are one million saunas. Most Finns go to a sauna at least once a week. And remember, an invitation to a sauna is usually a sign of friendship and social acceptance - you should think twice before turning the invitation down.

Sauna is an excellent place for relaxing, a place where titles are forgotten. It has also been an important part of Finnish politics. The ex-president Urho Kekkonen, for example, was known as a great sauna enthusiast. It is said that nude, relaxed, perspiring politicians make better and more humane decisions than those suffering in stuffy meeting rooms in their tight suits and ties.

Sauna is also an essential part of Finnish literature. It is mentioned already in Kalevala, and in the Finnish national novel Seitsemän veljestä (The Seven Brothers) by Aleksi Kivi (1834-72), the oldest brother Juhani firmly says: "A house without sauna is something not to be tolerated (...) A house is not a proper one without a hot sauna, barking dog, crowing cock and mewing cat".


Finns consider sauna to be their own invention, but Siberians, American Indians and Inuits, for example, have their own hot rooms and washing rituals. The exact origin of sauna is obscure, but the first saunas came to Finland about 2.000 years ago.

A Finnish sauna is an insulated, heated (80-100 C / 176-212 F) room where people gather naked to enjoy the warmth. There are usually wooden benches and a stove (heated with wood or electricity) in one corner of the room. Water is thrown on the hot stones of the stove for steam: löyly fills the room, makes the heat more intense, and stimulates perspiration. One can also lightly stroke oneself with a wet birch switch called vihta or vasta. If it gets too hot, one can cool down outside and then go back to löyly again. This might go on for hours while chatting and having beer.

In summer time the Finns combine sauna culture with summer cottages - saunas are often by lakes or by sea. In winter, the bravest ones roll in the snow or jump into the freezing lake after sauna.