Finnish activities #2: Sauna bathing Traditional Cache

 Finnish activities #2

20% of the population in Upplands Väsby are Swedenfinnish. This means they are Finns living in Sweden. This series of caches introduce you to Finnish activities, some more crazy than others!

Sauna bathing – Saunominen - Bastubad

This location is chosen because the shores of Edssjön would be perfect for a sauna!

Finland is perhaps most known for Sauna bathing. In Finland there are approximately 3 million saunas. The best ones located by lakes with the possibility of swimming between the baths. How to sauna bath is a gentle art leading to perfect satisfaction when done properly. Do not hesitate if a Finn invites you to his/hers sauna!

1. Start by heating the sauna to 70-80 degrees Celsius. The temperature will increase when you throw water on the stove.

2. Drink water.

3. Wet yourself and enter the sauna.

4. Sit choosing upper bench if you want heat and lower bench if you prefer less heat.

5. Throw water on the stove. Normally one throw for each person in the sauna and one for the sauna gnome. Feel the heat and that you start to sweat. Repeat 2-3 times.

6. Go outside to cool off. Shower or swim in a lake/sea or jump in the snow if it is winter.

7. Drink water.

8. Repeat the whole procedure 2-3 times.

9. If possible try to spank yourself with a bunch of birch branches (vihta) in the sauna. This maximizes the feeling of wellbeing and makes your sauna experience complete. The birch leaves will do wonders for your skin and blood circulation as well as leave a wonderful scent on your skin.

   Here a nice film about sauna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EKyCB9VkC8