9 Unhinged Heat Rituals That Will Sear Your Soul

Sauna Rituals That Redefine What It Means to Sweat

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Are you ready to go on a sweaty journey? Get your sauna gear ready to explore some of the world’s more eccentric sauna traditions

And let me warn you, some of these practices are quite strange.

While you might think of saunas as simple heated rooms where you relax and meditate, the reality is far more entertaining. In some cases, downright bizarre!

Let’s look at some of these offbeat sauna traditions.

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The Finnish Whipping Festival

In case you didn’t know, residents of Finland love their saunas. They’re practically a national religion.

I first learned about this when talking to a friend who had lived and worked in Finland for a few years.

There’s a peculiar tradition called “vihtominen” or “vastominen.” This is where perfectly reasonable adults whip each other with bundles of birch branches, as they sweat in their steam room.