This morning, my students had to make a presentation on their passion. One of them talked about her love for Finnish baths and all other types of therapeutic baths. She told us that, when she can, she likes to go and spend a day at the Spa. I also enjoy doing that. Unfortunately, I don't get to indulge in that kind of activity as much as I would like.
As we were looking at the pamphlets she brought to illustrate her presentation, I was thinking about the fact that in Canada, these little pleasures are truly a luxury. It is not the case for many other parts of the world, especially for Finland!
In Finland, for a population of 5 million people, there are 2 million saunas. It is the only country where there are more saunas than cars. Rich or poor, every family owns one.
In Finland, the sauna is used for rites of passage. It is a place where children are born and where women go through the purification ritual before marriage. It is also where old people sometimes drag themselves to leave this world in peace and warmth. Until today, some older generation Finns boast about being born in the sauna, it is a national passion and an integral part of their civil identity.
As a general rule women and men bathe separately, except within the family. In the sauna, there are heated stones onto which you throw water to create steam. Some Finns also lightly beat themselves with traditional whisks made of bunches of birch leaves to stimulate the circulation of blood. Every now and then, they leave the heat room to take a shower, swim or, in winter, roll into snow to cool off, only to return to the sauna afterwards. The ritual can last from 20 minutes up to two hours or more.
According to etiquette, in Finland, one should shower before going into the sauna. Children are taught very young to behave in the sauna like they would in church. A minimum amount of noise and no swear words are acceptable in the sauna. Everyone goes in naked. Traditionally, people use the saunas on Saturdays.
In North America, baths have not become such a custom and are still only available to those who have money to afford them. Yet, they could really help release tension and promote mental health, if only they were made more available.
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