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01/01/2002 Entry: "Am I Finnish?"
Every New Year's day, my family has a roast beef dinner. Sue wasn't feeling well, so Julia and I made the trip down to Spruce Head for a yummy meal, compliments of Mom. While playing with Eben's remote controlled monster truck, we decided maybe we should take a dip in my parrent's hot tub. Dwane and I were elected. We donned some trunks and a robe, and went outside to the 27 degree cold. We stripped of the robe, and stuck our legs in. Boy, was it warm! Real warm! In fact, the water that was supposed to be 103 was 115! Yowza! Dad threw in a couple of buckets of cold water, bringing the temp to a managable 105. After hanging out in there for a while, I thought I try an old Finnish trick. So, I jumped out of the tub, and ran a lap around the house bare foot. Very exhilirating! In fact, I convinced Dwane to do it with me again! Dad laughed very hard to see Dwane booking it around the house in swim suit and a stocking cap! I'll be doing this again!
Replies: 2 people have rocked the mic!
I feel I am qualified to comment on this only due to stories my dad told me from when we came to the mainland to go to school in Waldoboro in which he knew many finnish immigrants who lived near where he did. I might be way way off.
I think that trick you mentioned was actually in a sauna and not a hot tub. Well maybe I am talking about another tradion. Who knows. So the tradition I am talking about goes like that. The finnish sauna (they pronounce it sowna and not sawna like wee do) is used in the winter like your hot tub deal.
You go sit in the sauna for a while and then run out and jump in the snow. Then back in the sauna. They also use branches from pine trees I think to kind of whip your back. Not hard but just to give a sensation to the skin. Supposed to be good for you. Not for me.
I might have my thing way off from what you were talking about but it just sounded similar. Big update on TQS coming up about my big weekend.
Posted by Dake @ 01/01/2002 08:38 PM EST
Yes, you are entirely correct. The Finnish idea that I meant was going from the extreme warm to the extreme cold, in order to invigorate the body.
I also worked with a Finn for many years, and he would club you to death if you called it a "saw-na." It was always a "sow-na."
Posted by B.R. @ 01/02/2002 09:09 AM EST