A big motivator for putting this out now tbh is that my dad's birthday is coming up real soon 😅

Ueee thank yoy Susu im happy you think so!!! 😭💛

Oh wow you made it to the end! Enjoy this completely missable detail of rabbit and skiing trails in the background. Ty for reading through my thread of fun facts of a kind of possibly weird theme 😅 7/7

Now go check out the quoted project!!seasonsofruze.carrd.co

A somewhat more extreme version of the above is also a a fairly common practice: avantouinti, or swimming in a frozen lake! Rolling in snow is also an option. Rabid changes of temperature give a real kick to your system, but you must do it at your own risk! 6/7

Big part of sauna bathing is to cool down inbetween every few löyly, or as soon as it gets too hot for you—heat exhaustion is no joke! Usual methods include just dumping water over your head, swimming in a lake if you have access to one, or just a good ol' quick shower. A drink goes a long way! 5/7

The vihta/vasta (depends which region you're at) is a bouquet of (usually) birch branches that is used to smack one's skin, both to improve blood circulation and to help remove dead skin cells. I've personally seen it be dipped in water to help in cooling down as well :0 4/7

This is a saunatonttu, or sauna elf/gnome/spirit! The tonttu are much like the English brownie fairies, and they have specific dwellings in common living spaces. Tho the average Finn no longer interacts w/ them in our daily lives, saunatonttu is still a well recognized & appreciated figure! 3/7

The sauna is a space for quiet relaxation and community bonding with family and strangers alike. I'd dare say it's sacred even, given how deeply ingrained to northern european & slavic culture it is. Historically it was also a space for nursing the sick, giving birth, storage etc. 2/7

Kiuas; the heart of a sauna, it sings and hisses when you pour water to it (the act and following reaction of steam are collectively called löyly in Finnish!). Great ASMR. Some folks like to add scented oil into the water or pour beer over the stones for an aromantic effect. 1/7