We had our 7th meeting to experience Finnish culture, specifically the sauna. Since Melina has a large sauna at her place, we gathered there. It was very cold that day, making it the perfect time to enjoy the sauna.
In Korea, we also have a sauna culture, but it is a bit different. Private saunas, like the one in the basement of a personal residence, are uncommon. Instead, public saunas are more popular, where everyone wears the same uniform, such as T-shirts and short pants. This is why Yang and I wore T-shirts instead of swimsuits, while Emese and Melina chose swimsuits – and they were surprised by our choice.
Emese mentioned that saunas are also common in Germany, including nude saunas. It sounded shocking to me, but she said she doesn’t like them and has never visited one. According to Melina, in France, saunas are only found in spas. This seems somewhat similar to Korea.
In Finland, sauna culture is for people of all ages and is found almost everywhere. However, I think Korean sauna culture is more popular among elderly people. Before experiencing Finnish sauna culture, I didn’t like saunas much, but now I’ve fell in love with their charm – especially, the part where you dive into cold water(or the sea) after sweating in the high temperatures.
In Korea, we also use the word “sauna”, so I was surprised to learn that it originates from Finnish. It showed me how much Finns enjoy saunas and how deeply they are embedded in their daily lives. When I return to Korea, I think the thing I will miss most about Finland will be the sauna.
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