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Finnish people have a very spontaneous relationship with their naked bodies. Being naked does not automatically evoke sex, it all depends on context.
This is due to their national pride: sauna.
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This is due to their national pride: sauna.
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Every house in Finland has a sauna. There are 3.3M saunas in Finland (for a 5.3M population).
Families and friends often have sauna together - rigorously naked - so it's normal to see your parents naked, for example. In public saunas you see even strangers naked.
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Families and friends often have sauna together - rigorously naked - so it's normal to see your parents naked, for example. In public saunas you see even strangers naked.
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To give you some context, when I lived in Italy there was a sign in my swimming pool's dressing room forbidding people from taking their swimsuit off, even when showering.Dressing rooms were split by sex yet it was forbidden to be naked at any time.
(showering was challenging)
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(showering was challenging)
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Fast-forward to my FIRST month in Finland, I go to a student party. At some point all students walk to a park with a fountain and strip naked - men and women - and start splashing each other.
I've seen more naked people on that night than in the rest of my life combined.
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I've seen more naked people on that night than in the rest of my life combined.
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Please note those were people I was supposed to study and work with for the rest of the year. Sooo awkward.
Anyway, it was clear there was nothing malicious or sexual in what they were doing. It was child's play 100%.
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Anyway, it was clear there was nothing malicious or sexual in what they were doing. It was child's play 100%.
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Growing up in Italy I had never seen my parents naked. Being in Finland made me and my husband question how we had been raised to feel ASHAMED of our naked bodies.
When we had children, we decided to embrace 'the Finnish way' and it was a wise choice.
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When we had children, we decided to embrace 'the Finnish way' and it was a wise choice.
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We go to sauna and shower with our small children, it's completely natural and even liberating.
They are *shy* but *not ashamed* of their naked body. They understand what private parts are, they get what bad and good touch is.
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They are *shy* but *not ashamed* of their naked body. They understand what private parts are, they get what bad and good touch is.
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This also allows them to grow familiar with the adult body. Both my husband and I have stories of growing up and feeling lost about certain aspect of our changing bodies. Because there was so much shame linked to them, we never had a safe space to ask our parents anything.
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The evening shower *is* that safe space and children regularly ask questions. I love that they are cultivating a positive and natural relationship with their bodies.
This one cultural shock turned into an intentional and positive choice
#expatlife #expat
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This one cultural shock turned into an intentional and positive choice
#expatlife #expat
10/10
