Finland has been ranked first in global happiness levels for six years in a row.
Although the reasons for this are probably complex, at least one British newspaper reporter believes she has cracked the secret key to Finnish happiness: löyly.
What the hell is this and how does it make the inhabitants of the frozen and dark country (physically, of course - we are not implying anything) the happiest people in the world?
We will try to explain with the help of Claude based on the article published last month in the Guardian.
Löyly (the closest attempt to transcribe it into Hebrew would be olu - but the letter Y should be pronounced like the German letter ü, meaning a sound that is between ou and ei) is basically the Finnish word for steam - but in Finnish culture it is associated with the sauna experience, with the warm and fragrant air that surrounds the body and seemingly penetrates the soul.
With more than 3 million saunas in a population of 5.6 million people, public saunas create spaces that bridge socio-economic lines.
Elderly regulars meet old friends, parents bring babies to nap while the kids play, and in the Rayaporti Sauna, punks, architects and artists argue politics and rub each other's backs.
In a country where small talk is not its hallmark, saunas are breaking convention as places to openly vent concerns among friends or complete strangers.
The naked vulnerability removes the status and tension, and provides ritual mental relief.
Even Finnish homes now often include saunas, despite the quality problems of the 1980s, which the Finns lamented more than the housing crisis itself.
The enthusiasm for saunas also transcends gender.
Public laws encourage staying away from topics like politics, and men discuss feelings they rarely share elsewhere.
Between rounds, they may drink beer outside the sauna, wrapped only in towels despite the snow showers.
Women enjoy the freedom from criticism of appearance.
Expectant mothers use saunas right up until birth, without taboos.
Modern Finns treat the sensory magic of saunas almost sacredly.
They talk about how the experience 'cleanses' them of worries at the end of the work week, about joint winter dips in frozen lakes that raise the endorphins and cause the skin to tingle, and about the feeling of relaxation when staring for a long time in lake water dancing on hot rocks to release purifying and aromatic steam.
Even in one of the most introverted cultures in the world, saunas represent a sense of togetherness.
Although this is only one angle in the national fabric, the unique Finnish tradition of the sauna may be a significant factor contributing to its position as the happiest country on earth, and a lesson for those looking for ways to relieve stress while building relationships with others, with nature, and perhaps with themselves.
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