(snip)
Do people socialise whilst being in a sauna, or do they rather meditate? Does it differ per person or region? If meditate, has there been cross reference between people who meditate instead of sauna?
Do people socialise whilst being in a sauna, or do they rather meditate? Does it differ per person or region? If meditate, has there been cross reference between people who meditate instead of sauna?
Ok, ok, just kidding -- Finns can talk plenty! But seriously, in Finnish culture sitting silently together is a legitimate form of socializing, unlike some other cultures. Conversation need not be constant.
An interesting documentary to watch is Miesten Vuoro (released as Steam of Life in English, but literally translating to 'men's turn'). It explores sauna culture on one level, men's emotional lives on another level.
And as ptaipale says below, "In sauna one should be like one is in church" -- my terrible translation of a phrase about a certain traditional attitude toward sauna behavior.
Are you joking or is this real, like 4 people might meet up and it wouldn't be uncommon to sit there not speaking?
There's a classic joke about this:
One day two friends, Jukka and Pekka, meet after a long time apart and they go to a sauna in the woods. They drink vodka in silence for a couple of hours. Then Jukka asks: “So Pekka, how have you been doing?” Pekka says nothing, and they continue drinking for another couple of hours. Eventually Jukka asks: “How's the family?”. At that point, Pekka stands up and shouts: “Did we come here to talk, or did we come here to drink?”
(courtesy http://telefinn.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/finnish-jokes-about-...)
I consider it an extremely rude gesture, and not at all courtesy. If you're asking someone how they are, you should do that genuinely, or not at all. While I fully understand how it is being courteous there are different ways to be courteous which don't include asking questions you don't really want answers to. IOW, I find it very fake.
Although I do experience it more here as well, thinking back I remember it occurring at work and in family. I tend to avoid using it.
I sortof feel the same on 'have a good one' except here this does not hurt anyone, and it does not cause misconception. It is merely ending on a positive note. With that being said, a better way of introducing is "hello, pleased to meet you" since it shows dignity, or just "hello, good morning" which is more neutral. All of these are kind and small gestures but not overly or in the sense of inviting too much chit-chat, or invitations to doors which ought to remain closed.
Anyway, no matter how much I dislike it, it won't change. At the same time I don't have to put myself on that level.
After returning from an international travel experience, coming back to the States this was very noticeable culture difference.
Related: http://satwcomic.com/small-talk
Mostly the sauna is a family thing (yes, the whole kernel family of parents and small children may go together to their own sauna, everyone's naked, until the children are close to puberty and men and women of family go separately; public saunas such as those in swimming halls or the traditional public washing facilities are strictly gender-segregated.)
Sauna is perhaps a bit more of a social happening than meditation, although there are some clear aspects of meditation as well. As of old, sauna is a "holy" place; you're not supposed to yell, as the house-elves would not like it. In traditional farms, sauna was were babies were born, and where the dead were washed, so it's a bit of a place of reverence. And it used to be the cleanest and often warmest part of the household.
Source: I used to live in Finland.
Most often this occurs with young university students.
Edit: It Looks like a sauna is dry heat, a steam room is obviously moist heat. The sauna is typically kept hotter- 160-200 deg F, while the steam room is usually 110-115 deg F.
Best saunas are quite moist and not too hot, but the amount of moisture in air is controlled by the bathers. Sometimes this ends up in a competition (who can stand the wettest steam) but that's actually slightly bad manners.
For perfect results, I add a little beer to the water I throw on rocks (this is a matter of taste, some say that's not proper; in any case, things like menthol or eucalyptus don't really belong in Finnish sauna steam).
As to the positive health impacts, I'm completely agnostic. Or perhaps I think that it's more that healthy people can go often to sauna, not that going often would make you healthier.
In Dutch saunas (many of which have a sauna room called "Finnish sauna", which tend to be the hottest and driest of all), löyly is not standard, but only done in one sauna room at specific times, and controlled by the sauna personnel. (Dutch saunas tend to be commercially exploited complexes with multiple types of sauna, a steam room, masseurs, etc.) The sudden increase in moisture does help make you sweat more, and a lot of people appreciate that (but not everybody). And it's definitely often with eucalyptus or other fancy oils.
does anyone know if there is a temperature threshold for inclusion in the study? Saunas in the United States (only been in a few, like at the 24-hour fitness club) are, to me, tepid--feels like i'm in a sauna in which someone put out the fire several hours ago.
Russian saunas are are much, much hotter and i rarely see foreigners in them which suggests they are too hot for their tastes (though probably not for Turks or Finns). Saunas in villages or small cities in Russia and Belarus, which tend to adhere more to traditional recipes, are so hot (a little above 90 C, i've always been told is what they aim for) i can't tolerate them for more than a few minutes (and even the locals usually wear felt beanies while in there).