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Most of us are unfamiliar with the sauna bath. If you are from Finland, however, you are well acquainted with it. Saunas have been a part of Finnish and Scandinavian culture for nearly 2,000 years. There are more saunas in Finland today then there are automobiles!
The taking of a sauna is a time-honored tradition. Many Fins have personal home saunas that they partake in with friends on the weekends, usually on Sundays. It is also customary to finish a business negotiation with the taking of a sauna. You take turns relaxing in the sauna's heat and rinsing off in the shower or taking a dip in a frozen lake. At the end, everyone sits down and enjoys cold beers and a special meal. The Fins have always known how therapeutic the taking of a sauna is. Although researchers have not yet found any measurable health effects, everyone who enjoys a sauna on a regular basis feel more mentally relaxed, younger, and healthier.
There are also many traditions and myths that are associated with the Finnish sauna. The steam house has always been seen as a holy place. Traditionally, it was the room in which women gave birth and where the bodies of the deceased were washed. Along the same lines, the dead were worshipped here because it was such a lovely place that if old spirits were to return, people were convinced that they would first visit the sauna. Fire was seen as a gift from the gods and the sauna stove was an alter from which people could honor the deities in heaven.
The sauna was seen as a spiritual place and an old Finnish saying conveys that idea, "You should be in a sauna as in a church." If you acted disrespectful in a sauna, for instance slept, argued, played games, or acted "immoral," you might be punished by the saunatonttu, or the sauna elf. It was customary to leave some food out for him in order to show your respect or else he could cause you trouble!
If you are interested in purchasing a sauna for your home, you should check our Saunas Online today! You will love your new sauna as long as you treat the sauna elf with respect!
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