Following The Finns
A cultural study of the great equalizer of Finnish society.
The heart of Takka is inextricable from the heart of Finland – the spirit we share, löyly, is the spirit of the sauna.
We often talk about how part of our mission is to preserve our Finnish culture and heritage; Takka Portage is located, after all, in the same city as the Finnish American Heritage Center, or “the Smithsonian of Finnish America,” an organization at the forefront of this fight (we can also thank them for being at the helm of Hancock’s first-ever Sauna Week in February 2024!). What excites us so much about our opportunity with Takka is that we have a real chance to not just preserve Finnish tradition in America, but actually resurrect it – and let those traditions seep into our modern everyday life. To follow in the footsteps of Finns past and present.
If you’re not familiar with Finnish culture and the history of Finns in America, then you might be wondering what all of this really means. How do Finns use the sauna, and why do we strive to follow their example? What exactly does the Finnish sauna tradition look like, and mean, for its residents?
Finns don’t sauna just because saunas are everywhere; saunas are everywhere in Finland because the population practices sauna every day!
Where Wellness Began
Finns don’t sauna just because saunas are everywhere; saunas are everywhere in Finland because the population practices sauna every day, and has been for centuries. It’s estimated that 99% of Finns use the sauna at least once a week, and the country has an estimated 3 million saunas for its 5.5 million people. If one does not have their own home sauna, they likely have access to one at their office; and, of course, there is the public sauna, the backbone of many Finnish communities.
The sauna is often referred to as the great equalizer – step inside, and you’re a body among bodies, all there with physical health and rejuvenation in mind. In an age where the word “wellness” is often over- and disingenuously used, it’s humbling to take part in this ancient practice that truly merits the designation: the sauna has long served Finns as a sterile place for washing themselves in deep winter with no hot running water, for giving birth, and for curing or alleviating ailments.
The Spirit of the Sauna
In the sauna, the physical body rejoins its spirit. Löyly, the steam that rises from the sauna, also, in Finnish folklore, refers to the soul of the body. If you hear someone talk about the spirit of the sauna, they’re referring to löyly: the collective spirits of everyone in the sauna, swirling around as steam. Water will get ladled over the hot stones in the sauna to produce more löyly, and to increase the powers of the cleanse, sauna-goers fan themselves with vihta, the bundle of birch, to assist in opening up the pores and sinuses.
An Equalizing Influence
Though the private sauna offers these benefits of wellness, it’s the public sauna that really characterizes the Finns and their democratic, non-hierarchical society. Finns use the sauna to unwind, but also to conduct business and hold meetings, relying on the therapeutic, equalizing space to be conducive to calm and productive conversation.
In no surprise to us, a report in the Guardian found that Finland is consistently ranked one of the best-governed countries in the world; in 2018 it was also ranked the third wealthiest, the third least corrupt, the second most socially progressive and the third most socially just. At the same time, its judicial system was considered the most independent in the world, its police the most trusted, its banks the soundest, its companies the second most ethical, its elections the second freest, and its citizens known to enjoy the highest levels of personal freedom, choice and wellbeing.
Bringing Sisu To Michigan
Finns might tell you this high quality of living stems from sisu, their internal, courageous resilience, a resilience that stems from living in a cold, harsh place – a resilience that also manifests as a duty to help one another. Though Finns may be one of the most hardworking populations – it’s one reason why they were recruited to the Keweenaw by copper mining companies – they are also one of the most cooperative. It’s a culture in which everyone helps their neighbor. Might it be because they visit with their neighbor in the sauna every week?
We have faith in the community sauna as a place where we can learn how to care for one another; we have faith in it as a place where our loyly comes alive, and where the heart of Finland beats in America. When you leave Takka, we hope it’s with an awakened and strengthened spirit. Follow in the footsteps of the Finns, and let that spirit guide you through your day-to-day, until you can return home to the sauna.
To consult our sources or read further:
“Bare facts of the sauna in Finland.” https://finland.fi/life-society/bare-facts-of-the-sauna/
“Safe, happy and free: does Finland have all the answers?” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/12/safe-happy-and-free-does-finland-have-all-the-answers#:~:text=Society%20was%20not%20 hierarchical.%E2%80%9D,a%20dynasty%20like%20Sweden%27s%20Wallenbergs.%E2%80%9D
“A Sauna in Helsinki: ‘I wash you twice. Relax.’” Rick Steves’ Europe. https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/helsinki-sauna
“The art of Finnish sauna: a guide to heat, steam and ‘löyly.’” The Nordic Nomad. https://thenordicnomad.com/nordic-lifestyle/the-art-of-finnish-sauna-a-guide-to-heat-steam-and-loyly/
“Saunas.” Han Stories. https://finland.fi/han/saunas/
“Finns in Michigan.” https://finlandabroad.fi/web/usa/finns-in-michigan
“Loyly.” Finnish Folklore Wiki. https://finnish-folklore.fandom.com/wiki/L%C3%B6yly
“It’s Up To Us.” Finlandia Foundation. https://finlandiafoundation.org/2023/09/15/its-up-to-us/
