Nudity and sauna

Nudity in sauna is the norm, rather than an exception. That of course depends with whom you go to the sauna with and in which geographical location you are in. 

If you are in Finland or in Estonia, then it is customary to go to the sauna naked. This may vary from one group of people to another. Some people can be shy about being nude in the sauna. Although not always, women often come into the mixed sex sauna with a towel on. Depending on the individuals, sometimes men take a towel too.

If you are seasoned, you sometimes see funny taboo cases surrounding nakedness and misconceptions in the sauna. Back in the university days, we used to have international relations with quite a few student groups from other countries.

Once we were visiting a sauna in Latvia and were canoeing on rivers. You could see clear contrasts between sauna cultures - the Latvians were wearing swimsuits, Finns and Estonians were divided between some wearing towels and some being naked. It might have been about the particular people, but it also may have been the common norm in any of these countries.

At one point during the evening, while leaving the sauna, I overheard a „duh" moment. I was not sure whether to laugh or bang my head against the wall. Mikael commented to a Finnish gal „You have nice breasts." The discussion carried on for some time surrounding nakedness and the accepted boundaries.

The culmination of the discussion was „we do not make a big deal of it", which I could not have said better myself.

I know, it comes down to the culture and the background of the individual even more so. But the sauna is a place, where you customarily overlook the nakedness aspect. It is irrelevant and not taboo in the context. You just enjoy a good time with your friends.

 

Go read about first time sauna experiences, about sauna history or check out the 7 funniest sauna videos.