This recent article from The Globe and Mail discusses the culture of cleansing around the world, including the Finnish sauna. It examines the past, present, and future roles of public baths in our communities.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/design/a-new-sauna-culture-reimagining-the-bathhouse-as-a-community-space/article32333172/?click=sf_globefb

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Waiting for the savusauna to heat. Northern Savonia, Finland. (Photo by M. Peuramäki, 2014.)