Sauna culture promoter Rein Sikk: the main thing is to enjoy the sauna!

On the first of January 2023, instead of fireworks you should throw steam! That was the slogan with which the Year of the Sauna began. Rein Sikk, the author of the Year of the Sauna idea, explains that it started from a daily commentary he gave on Vikerraadio a couple of years ago – for nearly twenty years Estonia has had interesting theme years, for example the year of literature, of theatre, of libraries, so why not one great year of the sauna? After all, this is one of the best sauna eras in Estonian history, because during the collective farm era most saunas were closed, but today enough alternative options and spas have appeared to keep the old sauna customs alive. Unfortunately the coronavirus epidemic put the plan on hold, but in the spring of 2022 the Estonian Rural Tourism Association decided that the idea had to be carried out.

Sauna enthusiasm is in the genes

Rein says that sauna enthusiasm is already in his genes. „I remember how we went to the sauna in the countryside in southern Estonia at my grandfather and grandmother’s. In Tallinn my home sauna was the Raua Street sauna. In Tartu, the Tiigi sauna,” the man recalls how the sauna has been part of his life through the ages.

Finally, moving to Kadrina after university, the sauna enthusiast immediately sought out the Kadrina sauna. „I think becoming a sauna enthusiast was somehow passed on to me through the genes. I am an ordinary Estonian who goes to the sauna and socialises in the sauna,” Rein says.

Still, he is not quite an ordinary sauna lover. He has in fact written two sauna books about bathing – „With a whisk, but without anger. The Estonian people’s first sauna primer” and „50 sauna tips” in Maaleht’s Targu Talita book series. In his books „My Virumaa” and „My Ugrimugri” he also touches on sauna history.

„Through my journalistic work at Maaleht I have managed to gather important information, and for me it is logical that I can share it with other people,” Rein explains his reason, and lifts the veil of secrecy: in fact the manuscript of his next sauna book is nearly finished on his computer.

The main thing is to enjoy the sauna!

And so from Rein’s proclaimed idea came the 2023 Year of the Sauna, dedicated to sauna culture, customs, products, businesses, communities and leaders, and to everyone who has the sauna in their soul.

And the Year of the Sauna has already borne plenty of fruit – who could have foreseen, for example, that every week ETV would broadcast the Estonian game dedicated to the Year of the Sauna, which always includes sauna questions. Or that the world’s first sauna e-university would be created, whose lectures are available to listeners completely free of charge.

Rein points out that both sauna books and the sauna university help to preserve and spread knowledge. Public saunas and spas, meanwhile, add exciting twists to the old customs.

Rein says that today there are two traditions in taking a sauna – the first, with age-old customs and traditions that come from southern Estonia, especially from the smoke sauna people.

Second, more modern traditions, which may be based on old customs but need not be.

„Modern sauna attractions offer more excitement and experience in being in the sauna, but at the same time there are hundreds or even thousands of people in Estonia who use the sauna in the so-called old-fashioned way,” he says, noting that in fact it does not matter which version you prefer. The main thing is that a person enjoys the whole procedure and that alongside the interesting side activities the essence of bathing itself does not disappear.

He hopes that by the end of the Year of the Sauna what the people of Hiiumaa proclaimed even before this Year of the Sauna began will have been achieved – every year could be a Year of the Sauna! This year has unleashed wild initiative from various people, for example founding the world’s longest sauna street, from Käsmu to Hiiumaa. But mainly Rein hopes that village saunas can be saved that might otherwise have passed away, but will go on making the Estonian people happier and healthier.

The greatest sauna rule

Rein says that the best sauna advice actually comes from a person’s own body. „Do not go into the sauna with a clever textbook or a web recommendation in your hand, and do not time with a stopwatch how long you should take the steam,” he advises.

„Go to the sauna when you feel you need to and stay as long as you feel you need to. Communicate with yourself and with your body in the sauna, and everything will go well!”