Steam of life: Why Sauna is a sacred space in Helsinki
What makes Finnish sauna a sacred experience?
Once upon a time, the circle of life took place in the sauna: babies were born and the dead were prepared for their final journey, as the sauna was considered the most sterile place in a household. Though that no longer happens, löyly – the steam that’s created when water is ladled over the hot rocks of the sauna stove – is known as ‘the steam of life’, a gateway between the living and those who have passed.
Sauna as a sacred social and cultural space
The sauna culture in Helsinki (and throughout the country for that matter) retains its sense of sacredness as a place where everyone is welcome and respect for others is paramount.
On a practical level that means no yelling or swearing in the sauna and following general courtesies such as asking other sauna-goers before ladling water onto the sauna stove’s rocks to create more löyly. That respect also reflects the deep cultural roots of sauna as a sacred social and cultural space where digital devices are left behind.
“Finnish sauna represents a liminal space between digitised reality and the so-called natural world,” says Laura Seesmeri, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Turku who has written her dissertation on collective experiences related to saunas.
These days the Finnish sauna is the most non-digital place in the world.
-Laura
Researcher at the University of Turku
When you take off your clothes and enter the sauna, you are also stripped of your everyday roles and obligations. It doesn’t matter what your social status is, whether you are poor or rich, a business leader or a clerk. “We are all equals in the sauna,” says Seesmeri.
The sauna is a place where one can experience a connection to one’s cultural heritage and roots – even spiritual experiences involving the presence of our foremothers and forefathers. The sauna also emphasises our connection with nature, which is strongly linked to the sensual experience. Sauna is a quiet and unchanging place. And the sounds and smells are always the same, whether the scent of the wooden benches or the hiss of the water hitting the sauna stove rocks, as are the rituals.
“Today, the Finnish sauna is also connected to the revival of spirituality and naturalness. It’s a return to one’s roots – to the sauna itself,” says Seesmeri.
The mythical dimensions of sauna
The Finnish sauna has always been associated with mythical beliefs, including tales of sauna elves. According to lore, sauna elves were sprites who could warn of bad events, which is why it was important to keep them satisfied.
It was once thought that you should not take a sauna for too long, so that the sauna elves would have time for their own turn in the sauna after the humans were done,
-Laura
Researcher at the University of Turku
According to Seesmeri, the Finnish sauna these days does not involve any particular new rituals, but old rituals are taking on new forms.
For example, in the old Finnish culture, weddings would last for many days, and when the bride moved into her mother-in-law’s household, she was treated to a sauna in her new home. These days, Finnish brides are still treated to a sauna, but mostly with friends on their hen night.
There are no strict rules about which day of the week constitutes ‘sauna day’, though Saturday has long been considered family sauna day.
Many special sauna bathing days are marked on the calendar. Helsinki celebrates two of its major holidays Midsummer and Christmas, for example, with the sauna experience as a key part of the festivities.
The role of sauna in Finnish life
A sauna is still considered the most important feature of a home and its placement is one of the first considerations before building a house or an apartment block.
And if you have any doubt about the key role of saunas in Finnish life, reportedly, 90 percent of people living in Finland sauna (yes, ‘sauna’ can be a verb too!) at least once a week. As there’s more than 3 million saunas in Finland (population 5.6 million people), that means the whole country could enjoy a sauna together at the same time.
