Finland · Finnish sauna culture

Issue date22 Oct 2018

Total mintage1,000,000

EU maximum1,000,000

Editions4

Edge letteringSUOMI FINLAND + 3 lion heads

Inscription2018 / FI

DesignerErkki Vainio

mintSuomen Rahapaja OY, Vantaa, Finnland

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin is dedicated to Finnish sauna culture. The design depicts a Finnish landscape with a typical lakeside sauna in the centre, as well as the abbreviation “FI” and the mintmark.

The design

The coin’s inner part depicts a Finnish landscape with a typical Finnish beach sauna in the center. The year of issue “2018” is indicated at the bottom in the center. The issuing country code “FI” is shown in the center on the left, and the mintmark in the center on the right.

The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.

Background on the topic

The Finnish word “sauna” has been adopted into numerous languages. It refers to a heated room in which water is poured over hot stones. The steam produced in this way and the associated sensation of heat are called “löyly” in Finnish. It is customary to make several visits to the hot room, interrupted by cooling off, washing and periods of rest. Depending on the location, cooling off may involve the outdoor air, a shower or a body of water. A bundle of fresh birch twigs, known regionally as “vihta” or “vasta”, can be used to lightly beat the skin.

The sauna tradition developed over centuries in various forms. In a smoke sauna, there is no chimney: the smoke from the wood fire initially fills the room and is released before the sauna session. Later, wood-heated saunas with smoke outlets became widespread. Electrically heated facilities also made saunas possible in urban residential buildings and apartments. In addition to private facilities, there are public saunas and communal saunas in residential buildings, workplaces and recreational facilities.

Historically, the sauna was not only a place for personal hygiene. In rural households, it provided a warm, comparatively clean and secluded space. For this reason, it was at times also used for childbirth and caring for the sick. Today, sauna bathing primarily serves cleansing, relaxation and socialising. It is part of both family life and celebrations, as well as stays in holiday homes. Conversation is possible, while quiet and restraint are regarded in many places as part of the customary sauna rules.

The coin issue does not commemorate a single historical event or anniversary. Instead, it depicts a practice widespread in everyday life, closely associated with Finnish identity and at the same time internationally associated with Finland. Its cultural significance was later also recognised at international level: in 2020, UNESCO inscribed sauna culture in Finland on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.