Editing Sauna (section)

===Europe===
====Nordic and Baltic====
=====Finland and Estonia=====
{{Main|Finnish sauna}}

A sauna session can be a social affair in which the participants disrobe and sit or recline in [[temperature]]s typically between {{convert|70|and|100|C}}. This induces relaxation and promotes [[sweat]]ing. People use a bundle of [[birch]] twigs with fresh leaves ([[Finnish language|Finnish]]: ''[[Bath broom|vihta]]'' or ''vasta''; [[Estonian language|Estonian]]: ''viht''), to slap the skin and create further stimulation of the pores and cells.<ref name="Maki">{{cite web |last=Maki |first=Albert |title=New Finland Sauna / New Finlandin saunat |work=New Finland District |publisher=Saskatchewan Gen Web |date=20 September 2010 |url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cansk/Finnish/NewFinlandSauna.html |access-date=17 April 2014 }}</ref>

The sauna is an important part of daily life, and families bathe together in the home sauna. There are at least 2 million saunas in Finland according to official registers. The Finnish Sauna Society believes the number can be as high as 3.2 million saunas (population 5.5 million).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-05 |title=Lehdistötiedote: Suomalainen saunominen halutaan Unescon kulttuuriperinnön luetteloihin |url=https://sauna.fi/lehdistotiedote-suomalainen-saunominen-halutaan-unescon-kulttuuriperinnon-luetteloihi/ |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=Sauna |language=fi }}</ref> Many Finns take at least one a week, and much more when they visit their summer cottage in the countryside. Here the pattern of life tends to revolve around the sauna, and a nearby lake used for cooling off.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24328773 |title=Why Finland loves saunas |newspaper=BBC News |date=October 2013 |last1=Bosworth |first1=Mark }}</ref>

<gallery widths="200" heights="150" perrow="5">
Rajaportin sauna 2017-03-04 15.01.56.jpg|[[Rajaportin sauna]] in [[Tampere]], the oldest working public sauna in Finland
Sauna-pool.JPG|A modern sauna in Finland
Hinni talu saun.jpg|A sauna in Estonia
Sauna of Kapelo.JPG|Sauna building in Finland
Sunset sauna, Saadjärv.jpg|Estonian sauna on a lake
</gallery>

Sauna traditions in Estonia are almost identical to Finland as saunas have traditionally held a central role in the life of an individual. [[Ancient Estonia]]ns believed saunas were inhabited by spirits. In folk tradition, the sauna was not only the place where one washed but also used as the place where brides were ceremoniously washed, where women gave birth, and the place where the dying made their final bed.<ref>Ivar Paulson, ''The Old Estonian Folk Religion'', Indiana University, 1971</ref> The folk tradition related to the Estonian sauna is mostly identical to that surrounding the Finnish sauna. On New Year's Eve, a sauna would be held before midnight to cleanse the body and spirit for the upcoming year.

=====Latvia and Lithuania=====
In [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], bathhouse or sauna is {{lang|lt|pirtis}}; in [[Latvian language|Latvian]], it is {{lang|lv|pirts}}. Both countries have long bathhouse traditions, dating back to the [[pagan]] times.<ref name="lv-pirts-traditions">{{cite web|title=Latvijas pirts tradīcijas apgūst pirtnieku festivālā|trans-title=Latvian bathhouse traditions are learnt in the festival of bathers |url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/veseliba/latvijas-pirts-tradicijas-apgust-pirtnieku-festivala.a196260/|date=14 August 2016 |access-date=30 September 2023|language=lv|website=[[Public Broadcasting of Latvia|LSM]]}}</ref><ref name="lt-pirtis-history">{{cite web |title=Lietuviškų garinių pirčių senovė |trans-title=The antiquity of Lithuanian steam baths|url=http://www.baltai.lt/?p=2101|date=10 January 2010|website=Baltai|language=lt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320100416/http://www.baltai.lt/?p=2101|archive-date=20 March 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 13th-century bathhouses in the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] were mentioned in the [[Hypatian Codex]] and [[Chronicon terrae Prussiae]], as they were practised by the [[List of early Lithuanian dukes|Lithuanian dukes]].<ref name="lt-pirtis"/> [[Livonian Chronicle of Henry]] describes a bathhouse built around 1196 near the [[pier]] on the bank of [[Daugava]] river.<ref name="lv-pirts-history">{{cite book|title=Latviskais pirts rituāls|trans-title=Latvian sauna ritual|date=2013|first=Ričards|last=Batarags|isbn=978-9984-853-78-9|publisher=Drukātava|language=lv|url=https://biblion.lv/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Pages-from-1_pirts-rituals-220x315-2.pdf|access-date=30 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930150426/https://biblion.lv/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Pages-from-1_pirts-rituals-220x315-2.pdf|archive-date=30 September 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> The chronicle also mentions the year 1215 baths of the [[Latgalians|Latgalian]] ruler [[Tālivaldis]] which were built in [[Trikāta Parish|Trikāta]].<ref name="lv-pirts-history"/> These baths are also mentioned in the [[Livonian Rhymed Chronicle]].<ref name="lv-pirts-history"/> Sauna had a considerable role in the [[pagan]] traditions of the [[Baltic people]]. In the 17th century, [[Matthäus Prätorius]] described various rituals the Baltic people practiced in the sauna.<ref name="lt-pirtis-history"/> For example, sauna was a primary place for women to give birth and rites would be performed for the Baltic goddess [[Laima]].<ref name="lt-pirtis-history"/> At that time, sauna traditions were similar in [[Aukštaitija]], [[Samogitia]], [[Latgale]], [[Semigallia]] as well as some West Slavic lands.<ref name="lt-pirtis">{{cite web|title=Lietuviška ar rusiška pirtis? Ką sako istorija?|trans-title=Lithuanian or Russian sauna? What does the history say?|url=https://www.bernardinai.lt/2020-05-13-lietuviska-ar-rusiska-pirtis-ka-sako-istorija/|date=13 April 2020|access-date=30 September 2023|website=[[Bernardinai.lt]]|language=lt}}</ref> In 1536, [[Vilnius]] gained a royal privilege to build [[Public bathing|public bathhouses]], and by the end of the 16th century, the city already had 60 of them with a countless number of private ones.<ref name="lt-pirtis"/> In Latvian lands, bathhouses became particularly popular in the 19th century.<ref name="lv-pirts-traditions"/>

The contemporary Baltic sauna is similar to others in the north-eastern part of Europe: it varies according to personal preference but is typically around {{convert|55–70|C}}, humidity 60–90%, with steam being generated by pouring water on the hot stones.<ref name="lt-vle-pirtis">{{cite web|title=Pirtis|url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/pirtis/|access-date=2 October 2023|language=lt|website=[[Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia]]}}</ref><ref name="lv-encyclopedia">Latvijas Enciklopēdiskā vārdnīca, Nacionālais Apgāds, 2002</ref><ref name="lt-vantos">{{cite web|title=Visa tiesa apie pirtį ir jos karalienę vantą|trans-title=The whole truth about the sauna and its queen the twig|url=https://www.delfi.lt/gyvenimas/grozis_ir_sveikata/visa-tiesa-apie-pirti-ir-jos-karaliene-vanta-31343981|date=22 April 2010|access-date=2 October 2023|website=Delfi|first=Rasa|last=Prascevičienė|language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pēršanās gudrības: Kā pirtī pašam stiprināt miesu, vairot skaistumu un relaksēties|trans-title=Bathing wisdom: how to strengthen your body in the sauna yourself, increase your beauty and relax|url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/valasprieki/persanas-gudribas-ka-pirti-pasam-stiprinat-miesu-vairot-skaistumu-un-relakseties.a409567/|first=Keita|last=Rožāne|language=lv|date=26 June 2022|access-date=2 October 2023|website=LSM}}</ref> Traditionally, [[birch]] twigs ({{langx|lt|vanta}}; {{langx|lv|slota}}) are the most common, but [[oak]] or [[Tilia|linden]] are used too.<ref name="lt-vle-pirtis"/> Sauna enthusiasts also make twigs from other trees and plants, including [[Urtica|nettle]] and [[juniper]].<ref name="lt-vantos"/> Dry air sauna of {{convert|80–110|C}} and very low humidity became popular relatively recently; despite being a misconception, it is sometimes locally described as ''Finnish-type''.<ref name="lt-vantos"/><ref name="lv-encyclopedia"/>

<gallery class="center" widths="200" heights="150" perrow="4">
Lithuanian sauna in Dzukija region, July 2018.jpg|Traditional Lithuanian sauna in [[Zervynos]], [[Dzūkija]] region
Latvian_sauna_house_II.jpg|Latvian sauna covered in snow
"Raganų" pirtis - panoramio.jpg|Lithuanian sauna with the mythological decorations of witches
Old Latvian bathhouse with a pond.jpg|Latvian bathhouse with a pond built in 1862 in Kurzeme, [[The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia]]
</gallery>

=====Norway and Sweden=====
[[File:Swedish sauna on the lake.jpg|thumb|Swedish sauna house on the lake]]
In [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]] saunas are found in many places and are known as 'badstu' or 'bastu' (from 'badstuga' "bath cabin, bath house"). In Norway and Sweden, saunas are common in almost every public swimming pool and gym. The public saunas are generally single-sex and may or may not permit the use of swimwear. Rules for swimwear and towels for sitting on or covering yourself differ between saunas. Removing body hair in the sauna, staring at other's nudity, or spreading odors is considered impolite.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dn.se/blogg/etikettfragan/2016/03/18/13004/ |title=Bastustil? - DN.SE |last=Ribbing |first=Magdalena |date=2016-03-18 |website=[[Dagens Nyheter]] |language=sv-se |access-date=2018-03-24 }}</ref>

====Dutch-speaking regions====
Public saunas can be found throughout the [[Netherlands]] and [[Flanders]], both in major cities and in smaller municipalities, mixed-sex nudity is the generally accepted rule. Some saunas might offer women-only (or "bathing suit only") times for people who are less comfortable with mixed-sex nudity; ''[[Algemeen Dagblad]]'' reported in 2008 that women-only, bathing suit-required times are drawing [[Islam in the Netherlands|Muslim women in the Netherlands]] to the sauna.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1038/Rotterdam/article/detail/2168611/2008/03/10/Moslima-rsquo-s-ontdekken-badkledingsauna.dhtml|title=Moslima's ontdekken badkledingsauna|last=Langendoen|first=Claudia|date=10 March 2008|work=[[Algemeen Dagblad]]|language=nl|access-date=24 January 2014 }}</ref>

====United Kingdom, Atlantic and Mediterranean Europe====
[[Image:Pedra Formosa Briteiros.jpg|thumb|Pedra formosa-lusitanian sauna front stone]]

In the [[United Kingdom]] and much of [[Southern Europe]], single-gender saunas are the most common type. Nudity is expected in the segregated saunas but is usually forbidden in the mixed saunas. Sauna sessions tend to be shorter, and cold showers are shunned by most. In the United Kingdom, where public saunas are becoming increasingly fashionable, the practice of alternating between the sauna and the [[Hot tub|jacuzzi]] in short seatings (considered a ''faux pas'' in Northern Europe) has emerged.{{cn |date=August 2024}}

There is a fast-growing new British sauna culture consisting mainly of 'wild' outdoor spas, popping up all over the UK.<ref name="Guardian2024">{{cite news |last=Tapper |first=James |date=May 12, 2024 |title='It lowers inhibition': how saunas are challenging UK pubs as the place to meet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/may/12/saunas-uk-community-spaces |work=[[The Guardian]] |url-access= |access-date=August 1, 2024 |quote=Saunas in the UK have until recently been afterthoughts in hotel spas or places where getting steamy had another, seedier connotation. But after Liz Watson and Katie Bracher created a pop-up Finnish-style sauna on Brighton Beach using a converted horse box in 2018, a wave of mobile or permanent saunas have appeared, mostly at the seaside or beside lakes. There are more than 100 around the UK and Ireland, according to the British Sauna Society}}</ref>

In Portugal, the steam baths were commonly used by the [[Castro culture|Castrejos people]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Garcia Quintela |first1=Marco |title=Iron Age Saunas of Northern Portugal: State of the Art and Research Perspectives |journal=Oxford Journal of Archaeology |date=February 2015 |volume=34 |issue=1 |page=68 }}</ref> before the arrival of the Romans in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. The historian [[Strabo]] spoke of [[Lusitanians|Lusitans]] traditions that consisted of having steam bath sessions followed by cold water baths. Pedra Formosa is the original name given to the central piece of the steam bath in pre-Roman times.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Prociuk |first=Nadya H. P. |date=8 September 2018 |title=Protection and Purity: Symbolic Functions of the Iron Age Saunas of the Iberian Northwest |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-archaeological-journal/article/protection-and-purity-symbolic-functions-of-the-iron-age-saunas-of-the-iberian-northwest/388D888007F74EC9E7DC5AB04327722A |journal=Cambridge Archaeological Journal |language=en |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=125–140 |doi=10.1017/S0959774318000422 |issn=0959-7743}}</ref>

====German-speaking countries====
[[File:Fotothek df n-11 0000458.jpg|thumb|Sauna in [[Freiberg]], Germany]]

In [[Germany]], [[Austria]], [[Luxembourg]], [[South Tyrol]] and [[Liechtenstein]], most public swimming pool complexes have sauna areas; in these locales, nudity is the generally accepted rule, and benches are expected to be covered by people's towels. These rules are strictly enforced in some public saunas. Separate single-sex saunas for both genders are rare,<ref name=scheuch/> most places offer women-only and mixed-gender saunas or organize women-only days for the sauna once a week. Loud conversation is not usual as the sauna is seen as a place of healing rather than socializing. Contrary to Russia and Nordic countries, pouring water on hot stones to increase humidity (''Aufguss'', lit: "Onpouring") is not normally done by the sauna visitors themselves; larger sauna areas have a person in charge (the ''Saunameister'') for that, either an employee of the sauna complex or a volunteer. Aufguss sessions can take up to 10 minutes, and take place according to a schedule. During an Aufguss session, the Saunameister uses a large towel to circulate the hot air through the sauna, intensifying sweating and the perception of heat. Once the Aufguss session has started it is not considered good manners to enter the sauna, as opening the door would cause loss of heat (Sauna guests are expected to enter the sauna just in time before the Aufguss. Leaving the session is allowed, and is advised when feeling too hot or otherwise uncomfortable<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-03 |title=Bei zu heißem Aufguss Sauna lieber verlassen |url=https://www.fr.de/sport/sport-mix/heissem-aufguss-sauna-lieber-verlassen-11684472.html |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=www.fr.de |language=de}}</ref>). Aufguss sessions are usually announced by a schedule on the sauna door. An Aufguss session in progress might be indicated by a light or sign hung above the sauna entrance. Cold showers or baths shortly after a sauna, as well as exposure to fresh air in a special balcony, garden, or open-air room (''Frischluftraum'') are considered a must.

In [[German-speaking Switzerland]], customs are generally the same as in Germany and Austria, although you tend to see more families (parents with their children) and young people. Also concerning socializing in the sauna, the Swiss tend more to be like the Finns, Scandinavians, or Russians. Also in German-speaking countries, there are many facilities for washing after using the sauna, with 'dunking pools' (pools of very cold water in which a person dips themselves after using the sauna) or showers. In some saunas and steam rooms, scented salts are given out which can be rubbed into the skin for extra aroma and cleaning effects.

====Hungary====
[[Hungarians]] see the sauna as part of a wider spa culture. Most commonly, mixed genders use the sauna together and wear swimsuits. Single-sex saunas are rare, as well as those that impose nudity although the practice is growing and several spas have a towel-only policy on designated days. The most common types of saunas are the very hot and dry Finnish sauna (''finn szauna''), the steam room (''gőzkabin''), and the infrared sauna (''infraszauna''). In many larger spas, you can find a separate sauna section that can only be used with a separate entrance ticket. These units are often called sauna world (''szaunavilág'') and have additional services, for example, a cold plunge pool, resting areas, jacuzzi, showers, and crushed ice bucket. Aufguss sessions, led by a qualified sauna master, are becoming popular.

====Czech Republic and Slovakia====
In the [[Czech Republic]] and [[Slovakia]], saunas have a long tradition and are often found as part of recreational facilities, as well as public swimming pools. Many people are regular goers, while many never go. Saunas became more popular after about the year 2000 when large aquaparks and wellness centers began to include them. Nudity is increasingly tolerated, and many places prohibit the use of swimsuits; however, most people cover themselves with a towel. Showers are typically semi-private. Having men and women-only days was the norm in the past, but today, men-only facilities are rare, while women-only hours are sometimes provided.

====Russia====
{{main|Banya (sauna)}}
[[File:Russian Bath In Antarctica.JPG|thumb|Russian banya in Antarctica]]
[[File:In Russian Banya by Tikhov.jpg|thumb|''In a Russian Banya'' (1916), by [[Vitaly Tikhov]]]]

In many regions of [[Russia]], sauna-going plays a central social role. These countries also have the tradition of massaging fellow sauna-goers with leafy, wet [[birch]] bunches, called ''[[venik]]'' (веник) in Russian. In Russian-speaking communities, the word ''[[Banya (sauna)|banya]]'' (Russian: Баня) is widely used also when referring to a public bath. In Russia, public ''banya'' baths are strictly single-sex.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://en.travel2moscow.com/what/advice/Moscow_baths/ |title=Moscow's bathhouses: how to enjoy your sauna |access-date=26 June 2017 |archive-date=31 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531022403/http://en.travel2moscow.com/what/advice/Moscow_baths/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> During wintertime, sauna-goers often run outdoors for either [[ice swimming]] or, in the absence of lake, just to roll around in the snow naked and then go back inside. Russian traditional ''banya'' is quite similar to the Finnish sauna, despite the popular misconception that the Finnish sauna is very dry.

In modern Russia, there are three different types of saunas. The first one, previously very popular especially during the 20th century, is the public sauna or the ''banya'', (also known as the Russian banya), as it is referred to among the locals, is similar in context to public bathhouses in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The banya is a large setting with many different rooms. There is at least one sauna (Finnish style), one cold pool of water, a relaxation area, another sauna where fellow sauna goers beat other fellow sauna goers with the leafy birch, a shower area, a small cafeteria with a TV and drinks, and a large common area that leads to the other areas. In this large area, there are marble bed-like structures where people lie down and receive a massage either by another sauna member or by a designated masseur. In the resting area, there are also other bed-like structures made of marble or stone attached to the ground where people lie down to rest between different rounds of sauna or at the very end of their banya session. There is also a large public locker area where one keeps one's clothes as well as two other private locker areas with individual doors that can lock these two separate locker rooms.

The second type of sauna is the Finnish sauna type one can find in any gym throughout the world or a hotel. It could be in the locker room or mixed (i.&nbsp;e. male and female together). Attitudes towards nudity are very liberal and people are less self-conscious about their nude bodies.

The third type of sauna is rented by a group of friends. It is similar to the public banya bath house type, except that it is usually more modern and luxurious, and is often rented by groups of friends by the hour for the use of partying and socialising. Here it can be single-sex or mixed-sex.