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DIRECTLY FROM FINLAND
FINNISH SAUNA: BETWEEN TRADITION AND NECESSITY .
The Sauna, typical tradition originally invented in Scandinavia, is surely one of the most known beauty-care, health and body-care treatment in the world, and recently symbol of Finnish culture; Finland has been so influenced by Sauna tradition that the relation between this two elements can be described by this motto: “ Finland wouldn’t exist without Sauna, but Sauna would probably survive without Finland.”
But what’s so special in Sauna for Finnish people? It’s not just the therapeutic and healthy effect of steam’s clouds, and not even the psychological necessity to be clean and relaxed; it’s mainly part of a culture originated in the Stone Age and evoluted till the Modern Age . Firstly the Sauna place wasn’t meant to be just a relax place, but also a sterile environment where pregnant women could give birth to babies, cook and live during the cold Finnish winter; it was a sort of second house, used by everyone, rich and poor people, although the use of Sauna as a real house was mostly a poor peasants’ stratagem. It wasn’t weird at all for women and men to live in the same Sauna, and consequently to make use of steam and healthy benefits of it together , naked in the same place without be ashamed of it; also now be in the same Sauna as people from the other sex is not considered nor offensive or immodest, although the honor to use the Sauna with others is given to close friends and relatives only.
Sauna is so important in Finnish culture to cover a role even in business: business men and managers meet usually in the Sauna before or during administrative reunions; Sauna has been a reason of patriotism during the Second World War: no battalion was permitted to fight without has used the Sauna before.
Examining in details the Sauna’s ritual is possible to notice some features that make Sauna unique and inimitable; Sauna’s ritual is meant to be executed in three phases: during the first the environment is warmed till high temperatures by electric or manual boilers, and then is possible to enter and sweat. The wood used in manual boilers can be taken from different trees, but the best is the Pine tree; logs are disposed in vertical position and they have to be perfectly dry. Steam is generated by the meeting between water and hot stones with different proprieties and shapes, and it’s called Löyly, traditionally considered a good spirit worth of respect.
In the second phase, when the skin start the process of transpiration, it’s possible to begin the fustigation by birch’s twigs tied in a big bundle. Bundles are used several times to whip the skin in order to improve the muscular condition and the transpiration; bleeding is nothing special during this process.
The last phase is the one where the body get cold and the temperature return to a normal heat; the normal temperature is reached jumping in the snow or swimming in a cold lake. If it’s not possible to jump in the snow or in the lake, a cold shower is usually perfect.
It’s possible to find Sauna’s places everywhere in Finland: houses, offices, buildings, firms, hospitals, schools, swimming centers and factories.
Shikaia 590
Planned and developed by MRS.LINDSTROM with the help of NAILEDTOACROSS,
LEGOLAS_DI_MIRKWOOD and MAIA.
Editor in Chief: Mrs Lindstrom, Graphic Project: Shikaia590 & Maia
