Sauna Trivia
Interesting Sauna Trivia
In Finland, the Sauna plays an important part in socializing. Family gatherings and even business meetings take place in the Sauna. Participants are not allowed to leave the Sauna until a deal is made (just kidding).
There is 1 Sauna for every 4 people in Finland. That’s more Saunas than cars.
Finns behave in a Sauna as they would in church. It’s a very spiritual experience.
Many Finns have 2 Saunas, one for their residence and one for their summer cabin by a lake.
A typical 20-minute Sauna session can extract 1 qt. of water from the body.
Finns often use short bundles of birch branches, called "vihtas", to tap against their bodies to stimulate the skin. These same birch branches can be laid on top of the rocks for a few seconds while water is poured through them to create a very pleasant birch aroma in the room.
Many Russians like a very hot Sauna where temperatures around 300° F are not uncommon. They wear a woolen cap in the Sauna to protect their ears and mouth from the high heat.
High temperature in the Sauna is comfortable because humidity is very low.
Saunas are even used in hot climates like Saudi Arabia because once you take a Sauna, the outside air feels cooler and you sweat less.
In the wintertime many Finns will roll in the snow or jump in an icy lake after Sauna. This creates a very unusual tingling sensation all over the body.
Every year there is a contest in Finland to see who can stay in the Sauna the longest. They also have a wife-carrying contest where the runner completes a race with his wife on his back.
In earlier times Finns would first build their Sauna and then their house.
When present day Philadelphia was first settled in the 1600’s by Finns and Swedes they named the area Sauna. The first Sauna was built where the city hall stands today.
