Sauna Traditions – Discover Sauna Culture in Finland

Sauna is one of Finland’s best-known cultural traditions. For Finns, however, sauna is not simply something reserved for holidays or special occasions. It can be part of an ordinary week, a family gathering or an important celebration.

Finnish sauna traditions have been passed down through generations and continue to be part of life across the country. Some are connected with particular times of the year, such as Christmas and Midsummer, while others are part of the way people spend time together and enjoy the sauna.

Here are some of the traditions that can help you understand why sauna has such a special place in Finnish culture.

Why is sauna such an important tradition in Finland?

Sauna has been part of Finnish life for generations. Although lifestyles have changed, the tradition has remained strong.

For many Finns, sauna is a regular part of everyday life. Families may have their own sauna routines, and children often become familiar with sauna from an early age. In this way, sauna traditions are not only taught or explained – they are passed on by taking part in them.

There is no single way in which every Finnish family or community experiences sauna. Traditions and habits vary, and everyone can have their own relationship with sauna.

Sauna can be both social and peaceful

Sauna is often a place for spending time together. Families and friends can meet in the sauna, and shared sauna experiences can also be part of gatherings and celebrations.

But being together does not necessarily mean constant conversation. Sitting quietly and enjoying the moment can be just as natural. 

This combination of togetherness and tranquillity is one reason sauna can have many different roles in Finnish life. It can be a social experience, a moment to relax or simply a familiar part of the day.

Christmas sauna – a Finnish holiday tradition

Christmas sauna, or joulusauna, is one of Finland’s best-known seasonal sauna traditions. For many families, going to the sauna is part of Christmas Eve.

The Christmas sauna is traditionally associated with slowing down and preparing for the Christmas celebrations. The exact customs vary between families: there is no single timetable or routine that everyone follows.

What makes the tradition distinctive is that sauna becomes part of the rhythm of the holiday – a familiar moment between the preparations and other Christmas traditions.

Midsummer sauna – a tradition of the Finnish summer

Midsummer, or juhannus, offers a very different setting for sauna. Celebrated around the longest days of the year, Finnish Midsummer is often associated with summer cottages, nature and spending time by the water.

For many people, sauna is a natural part of Midsummer celebrations. At a cottage or lakeside sauna, a sauna session may be followed by a swim, while the long, light summer evening creates an atmosphere very different from Christmas sauna.

Midsummer is also associated with another recognisable Finnish sauna tradition: vihta or vasta made from fresh birch branches.

What are vihta and vasta?

A vihta or vasta is a bundle of leafy birch branches used in the sauna. The branches are gently brushed or tapped against the skin while bathing.

The two words mean essentially the same thing, but their traditional use varies regionally. Vihta has traditionally been more common in western Finland and vasta in eastern Finland.

Fresh birch branches are traditionally gathered in early summer, and making a vihta or vasta is particularly associated with the Midsummer season. The scent of fresh birch has therefore become part of the Finnish summer sauna experience.

Public saunas are part of Finnish sauna culture

Not every sauna experience takes place at home or at a summer cottage. Public saunas have a long history in Finland, particularly in towns and cities.

As private bathrooms and saunas became more common in Finnish homes, the number of traditional public saunas declined. Today, public saunas continue to offer both Finns and visitors a way to experience the social side of Finnish sauna culture.

One example of a traditional public sauna is Forum Sauna in Turku, which continues the tradition of the Finnish public sauna. In addition to public sauna sessions, Forum Sauna offers various sauna treatments as well as traditional treatments such as cupping.

Cupping, known as kuppaus in Finnish, is an old traditional treatment that has been practised in connection with sauna in Finland. It is not part of an ordinary sauna visit for most Finns today, but it offers an interesting example of the traditional treatments associated with sauna.

Saunas are also commonly found at public swimming pools and spas in Finland. For Finns, going to the sauna is often a natural part of a visit to a swimming pool, while spas may offer several different types of sauna. For visitors, public swimming pools and spas are another easy way to experience Finnish sauna alongside traditional public saunas.

Finnish sauna culture is living cultural heritage

Finnish sauna culture was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.

UNESCO highlights the way sauna traditions are passed on within families as well as through sauna clubs and other communities. This helps explain what is meant by living cultural heritage: the tradition is preserved because people continue to practise it and pass their knowledge and customs on to others.

Finnish sauna traditions are not completely fixed. Families, communities and generations may practise them differently, while still maintaining a recognisable connection with the same sauna culture.

Experience Finnish sauna culture during your trip

Travelling in Finland gives you the opportunity to encounter sauna culture in many different settings. You may experience sauna at a public sauna, in the countryside, beside a lake or as part of your accommodation.

Many hostels in the Finnish Hostel Association network have a sauna, making it easy to include a sauna experience in your stay. Facilities and practices vary between hostels, and you can check whether a sauna is available in the hostel information on the Finnish Hostel Association website.

Experiencing a sauna during your trip is one way to get closer to a tradition that continues to be part of Finnish life today.

Planning your first sauna experience in Finland? Read our Finnish Sauna – A Practical Guide for Visitors to Finland for practical information about löyly, what to wear, sauna etiquette and what to expect.

Published on 22 September 2026