Do I have to be naked in the sauna? In today’s article, I contemplate sauna and nudity. I was inspired by one of my blog followers who said that she thinks the only way to take a sauna is naked. A towel or swimsuit is a no-go. For her, the only way to enjoy the sauna is completely naked.
Swimwear on or off?
The way she formulated her thoughts was interesting for me. She said that she could not imagine taking a sauna “with clothes on”. She said she can’t breathe properly if she wears a towel. Swimsuits feel horribly uncomfortable on her skin.
This made me think about my own preferences. I do not mind wearing a bikini or a swimsuit or wrapping myself in a towel. The main thing is that I get to enjoy the steam of the sauna. If I get to choose, I like being naked. But it is not a must.
Do I have to be naked in the sauna?
I cannot give a definitive answer to this. It all depends on your country’s nudity culture. It also depends on your personal relationship to your body and nakedness. Do you feel uncomfortable being naked or seeing other people naked? Not everyone is used to nudity or are at peace with their body. Shyness or anxiety can make the idea of being naked absolutely horrifying. We should also remember that people might have had bad experiences in the past. Many factors can impact the way they feel about nudity.
I think it is important to bear all these things when we enter the discussion about nakedness and sauna. We should be respectful when talking to people with different preferences. We all come from different cultures and families. What we think is normal, can be taboo in another culture.
Let’s give everyone a chance to enjoy the sauna the way feels natural to them!
Nudism
In Germany, FKK Frei Körper Kultur, or nudism, is really common. Germany is full of nudist beaches, campsites, hotels, and so on. The FKK originated in the Ruhr area as early as the beginning of the 20th century.
The idea was born out of a wish to find a healthy work-life balance. The factory workers began to spend their free time on the beach, naked of course. They wanted to go “back to nature” and enjoy the fresh air. Diet also played a big role for the factory workers; it was mostly vegetarian and home-cooked. Especially for the inhabitants of the GDR, i.e., East Germany, the FKK was a fairly normal way of life. I have also heard that there were saunas in kindergartens in the GDR area. Or, in fact, there still are.
Nudity in Finland
Last summer, I listened to a Finnish radio program that discussed nudity. They talked about an incident in a Finnish spa that had been widely reported in the local media. A group of women had been kicked out of a Finnish spa because they were topless.
Another customer had reported them to the staff, accusing them of inappropriate behaviour. The spa agreed with the customer and said the topless women were violating the swimsuit rule (they did wear bikini bottoms). The rules of the Rauhanniemi spa state that every person over the age of 6 must wear a swimsuit.
I was somewhat surprised to hear this. Most Finns are used to nudity and families take a sauna together. Apparently, public nudity is still taboo.
Nudity in Germany
In the German sauna world, it is quite normal for men and women to take a sauna together. Everyone is naked and it is not a big deal because people are used to it. It would be odd to see someone who had a swimsuit on. People might say something negative to you or you might even get asked to leave.
I always thought that we Finns do not care whether someone is naked or wears a swimsuit or a towel. After hearing about the spa incident, I have to conclude that we are more close-minded than I thought.
I have heard from many German women (and Finnish women who live here) that they do not like the German mixed saunas. I would like to know why? Is nudity still associated with sex? Are they afraid of being sexualized?
I think nudity is natural and we should not be ashamed of ourselves. Nakedness should be a neutral thing.
When you enter a German sauna, it is polite to greet everyone. Usually, people glance at you as you come in and say hi. It is not normal to stare at others. Usually, people do not really care about others, they just want to enjoy the sauna. I doubt they even remember how the person looked a few minutes later.
I have visited many mixed saunas and I have never felt uncomfortable.
Only once I felt a bit nervous. That was when I thought a man was following. He seemed to be everywhere I went and to follow me from sauna to sauna. It did make me uncomfortable for a moment. Now I think it might have been accidental, maybe we just happened to be in the same place at the same time
The difference between a Finnish and a German sauna
There is one big difference between a Finnish and a German sauna. We Finns sit in the sauna chastely, with our hands-on our feet and our backs bent. We try not to take up any space or expose too much skin.
The Germans are relaxed. They keep their legs wide open, sit with their backs straight and are not ashamed of anything. Of course, this is not the case for everyone, but you get the gist.
Nudity in other cultures
Germans are liberal when it comes to nudism, but are extremely rule-based in other aspects. The Germans have their sauna masters who are responsible for the steam. They also have rules about how long you should stay in the sauna etc. Luckily, the Germans are slowly becoming less strict with their rules.
In Finland, it quite is normal to go to a sauna naked with your own family members. In public saunas, women and men have separate “naked” saunas and swimsuits are worn in the mixed saunas. There are no strict rules.
In Japan, nakedness is normal, however, men and women have separate saunas. They have a little towel they use to cover their bottom halves as they enter. Hot baths, electric shocks and TVs are quite normal in Japan.
The Turks have their own, longstanding sauna culture. Nudity used to be the norm in Turkish saunas. Nowadays, they have separate saunas for men and women. There are some mixed saunas where everyone wears a swimsuit. If you go to a Hamam-sauna you get a towel and wrap yourself in it. The Turkish bath does not have a stove.
These were just some examples of different sauna cultures. Every sauna culture has its own rules. There is no right or wrong, just different approaches.
Do I have to be naked in the sauna?
I wanted to write this article to open the discussion around sauna and nakedness. Do I have to be naked in the sauna? Well, there is no simple answer. It always depends on the culture and your personal preferences.
Just like some people enjoy hot saunas and others more gentle warmth, there are different opinions about sauna and nakedness. There is no ultimate truth when it comes to the sauna. You are free to enjoy the sauna how you want. Just be respectful of others and, if you are in a public sauna or a spa, follow their rules.
What is your opinion, do you enjoy your sauna naked, or do you prefer to wear a swimsuit or a towel?
What did you think about this article, did it give you food for thought? Did you learn something new? Let me know in the comments.
Love, Sauna-Kati
