Finnish sauna
The Finnish sauna (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsɑu̯nɑ], Swedish: bastu) is a substantial part of Finnish and Estonian culture.
| Sauna culture in Finland Finnish: saunakulttuuri Suomessa Swedish: bastukultur i Finland Northern Sami: sávdnjekultuvra Suomas | |
|---|---|
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage | |
| Country | Finland |
| Criteria | Social practices |
| Reference | 01596 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2020 (15th session) |
| List | Representative |
| A typical modern Finnish sauna | |
It was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists at the 17 December 2020 meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. As authorized by the state, the Finnish Heritage Agency commits, together with Finnish sauna communities and promoters of the sauna culture, to safeguard the vitality of the sauna tradition and to highlight its importance as part of customs and wellbeing. In the case of Estonia UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists smoke sauna tradition since 2014.
The word sauna itself is of Finnish origin. In the Estonian language it is saun.