The act of taking a sauna is an inherent part of the Finnish culture. The tradition stretches back almost 10,000 years – the earliest examples of sauna culture are from 7,000 BC. Finns bring sauna wherever they go, including the United States, and the tradition still thrives in certain regions of America where many Finnish people have settled. Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland explores the Finnish sauna tradition with an interactive model sauna and sauna objects as well as stories, photos, and videos shared with us from home and abroad. In addition to Finnish sauna, the exhibition discusses related sweating practices from cultural groups around the world, including the Japanese and the Lakota in the United States, highlighting their similarities and differences to Finnish sauna.
Visit Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland on view from October 18, 2024 to create or share your own memories and connections with sauna.
Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland was organized by Nordic Northwest, Portland Oregon and made possible by the generous support of Finlandia Foundation National.