Welcome to one of our Upper Michigan Features Pages; a look at the Finnish-borne saunas. The Sauna originated from the country of Finland and the earliest ever recorded facility of such an origin dates back to 1113. Today, there are a few different kinds of saunas, and several different ways to enjoy such a bath house. The sauna has become a popular way to enjoy the heat and a means to be clean. A little history, the types of saunas that exist, and the proper means of getting clean and enjoying your sauna will be discussed on this page.
Vocabulary Lesson
First off, there is a discrepancy in how the word "sauna" is actually pronounced. Many true-blue Yoopers often refer to the word as "SOW-NA." And this is the correct pronunciation according to the Finnish language. But somewhere and somehow, when the term and the concept reached the United States, the word got re-pronounced. Many more people, those people living outside of the U.P. or have moved to the U.P. after living elsewhere, refer to the word as "SA-NA" (The O is silent). Although it really doesn't matter how the word sauna is pronounced, it still makes some Yoopers and people with Finnish heritage shake their heads. But we are an understanding folk; all that matters is that the sauna is enjoyed and preserved in the Finnish history.
History of the Sauna
The history of the sauna dates back to over 2000 years! Its start was in Finland, where the first written descriptions of the sauna were first recorded in 1112. The earliest saunas were built in the ground, dug out of an embankment. Eventually, saunas were built above ground out of wooden logs.
The rocks were heated in a stone stove with a wood fire until the rocks were super hot. This room did not have a chimney but a small air vent in the back wall. The smoke was allowed to fill the room while it was heating. It was a half-day process to heat this type of room. When the Sauna reached temperature, the bathers entered after the smoke cleared. The walls and ceiling would become dark black. The name Sauna it thought to be a derivative of the word sauna, literally "in smoke". The Sauna later evolved to the more typical metal wood stove heater with the chimney. Wherever Finns traveled they brought their Sauna culture with them. It was first brought to America by Finns who settled in the current state of Delaware in 1638. Modern day life and electricity evolved the Sauna again. Saunas became more accessible in the U.S. after the electric Sauna stove was developed in the 1950's. Some Americans that lived near Scandinavian communities may have been lucky enough to discover Saunas early on. After 360 years in this country, the Sauna has become an established tradition for many Americans as it has been for the Finns.
The Type of Sauna Stoves
Today's modern sauna's are well built and most come from factories. There aren't too many people around that are able to make their own stoves, like the old days. Modern sauna stoves come in different shapes and sizes. There is the modern electric sauna stove, which is becoming more and more popular.
The electric sauna stove is becoming more popular because of one main reason. The hassle of getting wood, chopping it up, hauling it home, and stacking it has been eliminated. All you got to do with the electric sauna is turn it on, wait about an hour to get it hot enough in the wash room, pour water on the rocks and enjoy! It is as easy as that. And another nice thing about electric is that you can have a sauna whenever and as much as you want! You can turn it on in the morning, afternoon, or evening and enjoy a sauna. When you're done, all you have to do is turn the stove off and leave. It's one of the latest modern conveniences in the history of the Finnish sauna. What more will they come up with next?
For the traditional type, wood stoves are still made, ready to install. Obviously wood will be needed to heat up the stove. It's probably a good idea to chop a bunch of it up, so you wouldn't have to worry about going back and forth to the woods and getting more of it each time you have a sauna. Have it stacked up high outside the sauna for convenience sake. That way, it'll last you a good part of the year. Kindling wood is also needed to get the fire off, to a roaring start. Of course, a chimney is needed to let out the smoke from the wood burning inside the stove. Take that into consideration when you're building a sauna. One of the negatives to a wood stove is lighting the fire and waiting for the stove to warm up. This will probably take about as long as an electric stove does to warm up. After all that is out of the way, you're ready to enjoy the sauna. Some people tend to say that a wood-burning sauna tends to really heat things up more than an electric unit, but I find that hard to believe. Whatever the case, a sauna is a sauna, and it is there for pure enjoyment. Whatever the type of stove, it's still going to heat things up inside. The latest invention of the sauna stove is the natural gas version. I am unfamiliar to the way this one works, but I am sure it is equally as convenient as the electric stove is. 
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