Sauna

A sauna is a small room or building that is made hot. The heat of a sauna is calming and makes the person using it sweat. This is believed to help people be more healthy though it causes stress on the body by overheating. Today many countries and groups of people have different ways of heating and using a sauna. The temperature is often 80°C in Finnish saunas. The heat can be more than 100°C. Finnish and Swedish saunas have lower humidity (the air is less wet) to make this high heat comfortable.

The Turkish hammam has a high humidity (the air is more wet) and a lower temperature.

Today saunas can often be found at hotels and places for sports and exercise. In Finland, they are more common and are also often in private apartments and office 
buildings.

In almost every house in Finland they have a sauna.

Common rules for public saunas
In some cultures, swimsuits must be worn in a sauna. In other cultures swimsuits are not be worn. Swimsuits are more often worn when men and women use a sauna together. Some saunas are only for men, or only for women. Some places have fixed times when each gender can use a sauna. Private saunas may have their own rules.

Areas where the sauna is used while nude
Germany
Austria
North-eastern Italy
Finland
Russia
Slovenia
Sweden
Croatia
Japan
Netherlands
Flanders
Estonia
Lithuania
Latvia

Areas where the sauna is used in a swimsuit or covered by a towel
France
United Kingdom
United States
Hungary
South America
Africa
Wallonia

Area where men and women do not sauna together
Russia
Japan

Areas where sitting on a towel is required
Germany
Austria
North-eastern Italy
Netherlands
Flanders

Related pages
Onsen
Sentō
 Jjimjilbang
Banya
Category:Finnish culture
Category:Hygiene