Finland - Song Of The Sauna
Prestige Singapore|September 2019
In Finland, the sauna is not just a bathing ritual, but also a place for healing and spending quality time with loved ones. Charukesi Ramadurai discovers its joys firsthand
Charukesi Ramadurai
Finland - Song Of The Sauna

Year after year, Finland keeps coming out tops in lists of the world’s happiest countries. And after spending a week in that country, I discover the secret: sauna (which is pronounced “sao-nah”).

The traditional bathing and cleansing ritual that unites Finns of all ages and classes is the answer to this Scandinavian society’s physical and mental well-being. There are more than two million saunas in this country of some 5.5 million people, meaning they are pretty much everywhere: from small huts in the countryside to sprawling centres in luxury hotels; from the terrace of office buildings to the basement of apartment complexes. There are even floating saunas and sauna cable cars.

The sauna is where family get-togethers are held, friends catch up and business deals are negotiated. In the past, women even gave birth in the sauna. As Matti Markkanen, Sauna Chief at Löyly, a popular public sauna in Helsinki, describes it, “the sauna is more than a hot room to sweat in; it is something magical that really brings us all together”.

If there is one thing I hear repeatedly from personal and professional acquaintances in Finland, it is this: “For us Finns, the sauna is a way of life.” There are some who spend time in the sauna every single day, and others whose idea of a weekend getaway is going to their cottage by the lake that, needless to say, comes with its own sauna. It is an activity practiced throughout the year, regardless of how hot or how cold it gets outside. In the sauna, it is always a sizzling 80 to 90°C.

This story is from the September 2019 edition of Prestige Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2019 edition of Prestige Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PRESTIGE SINGAPOREView All
Youthful Bloom
Prestige Singapore

Youthful Bloom

From evocations of horseback rides to anti-ageing formulas, this month's selection of beauty products shaves off the years.

time-read
1 min  |
March 2024
Private drinker
Prestige Singapore

Private drinker

Whisky and jazz bar Maduro finds its niche in Sofitel Sentosa.

time-read
1 min  |
March 2024
A QUIET SPACE
Prestige Singapore

A QUIET SPACE

The Mercedes EQS 450 4MATIC SUV is one of the most luxurious cars to be driven in.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
IN THE KNOW
Prestige Singapore

IN THE KNOW

As part of well-known names in the hospitality game, these hotels are so much more than places to lay your head for the night. The Prestige team checks in to these newcomers to find out why they're the talk of the town.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
ESSENCE OF THE TERROIR
Prestige Singapore

ESSENCE OF THE TERROIR

Martell introduces the Single Cru collection in a tribute to the distinctiveness of the region's varying terroir. Prestige visits the brand's home in France to immerse in the savoir-faire of the house and beauty of the spirit.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
STATE OF THE ART
Prestige Singapore

STATE OF THE ART

With Art Basel Hong Kong, Frieze Seoul and ART SG in full swing once more, the region is back on the world stage. But how is it rebounding? Prestige quizzed the industry's top experts.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2024
A CASE OF GREATNESS
Prestige Singapore

A CASE OF GREATNESS

Prestige dropped into the Australian Open to check out Louis Vuitton's latest trophy trunks...and caught the making of tennis history.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
THIS IS HER ICE SONG
Prestige Singapore

THIS IS HER ICE SONG

Prestige Singapore meets ZARIA FORMAN in Niseko to find out why the artist-activist-explorer from Vacheron Constantin's \"One of Not Many\" collective pursues glaciers and icebergs.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
THE SHINE FROM MIAMI
Prestige Singapore

THE SHINE FROM MIAMI

LVMH Watch Week kicks off the year's calendar of watch events in sunny Florida. Here, Prestige's watch expert talks about her top picks from the show.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2024
ARTISTS TO WATCH 2024
Prestige Singapore

ARTISTS TO WATCH 2024

Each year, we identify the Asian artists on the rise, shining a light on the exciting and provocative works enriching the region's artistic and cultural landscape. Here are 19 upcoming talents to put on your radar, from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2024