I just returned from my second trip to Finland. The Finns are rugged individualists and very much to my liking — I would liken them to Alaskans in the USA. Finns seem to get through the long winter by entertaining themselves in some offbeat ways — there is a wife-carrying race, and a world air guitar championship, for example. Sauna is something of a social event, and the usual routine is this: Men and women go separately, and usually do not wear bathing suits or towels. Most people go to sauna in the altogether. Nobody cares about body image, because everyone does this. The hottest temps I have heard about from ordinary Finns is about 120 degrees Celsius. You have to work up to that, so if they know there is a newbie among them, they generally go easy on the temperature and the pouring of water on the hot rocks. Sometimes, they add essential oils to the water, which give off a pleasant smell. Sometimes, they beat each other with leafy birch branches, which also give off a nice smell. After about 10 minutes of sweating, everyone wraps in a towel and gets out. If there is a secluded outdoor area and the weather is nice, they sit outside. At this point, everyone drinks a cold beer or cider before heading back into the sauna for another 5 to 10 minutes, followed by a cool shower, which leaves you feeling fresh as a daisy. I found that, once I got used to being naked among friends, I rather enjoyed the ritual. Finnish houses are often designed with a large sauna room which contains not only the sauna, but often multiple shower heads. As I said, it’s a social event.
Next time you go would you PLEASE invite me :)
Finns in this country usually use cedar branches instead of birch. Native birches aren't as aromatic as European birches.
During my tour in Germany, I spent some time at a German base near Kiel (Todendorf). Nearby was a clothing optional beach. First time I went, I was hesitant to disrobe, which my date found laughable.
I got over my reticence when I saw a middle-aged man who was about 5'8" and 350 lbs.
My usual workout routine ends with 20-25 minutes in the sauna. I'm not sure how hot it gets in there, but it's nowhere near 110 C. Maybe 150-160 at the most. At my age, it helps ward off muscle soreness the next morning.
A friend did a semester in Finland last year. She found that the apartments had saunas and tenants were given sauna times so they could have the sauna to themselves/their family.
My late husband was Finnish-Swedish from the UP of Michigan and loved saunas. Once we lived in a place that had a wall heater in the bathroom; he’d use it as a makeshift sauna. One day he cranked it up and brought in our 6 yr old son so they could have a sauna experience. The boy passed out. We were young and thought the kid was sick and took him to the hospital. The sauna was such a part of my husband’s life, it didn’t occur to him to put 2+2 together and that the heat might be too much for a kid.