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In Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
, a ''pefletti'' ( Finnish and colloquial Finland Swedish
Finland Swedish or Fenno-Swedish (; ) is a Variety (linguistics), variety of the Swedish language and a closely related group of Swedish dialects spoken in Finland by the Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish-speaking population, common ...
) is a sheet of paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
, cardboard
Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. Their construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard, made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light brown ...
, cloth
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...
, foam rubber
Foam rubber (also known as cellular rubber, sponge rubber, or expanded rubber) is rubber that has been made with a foaming agent so that its structure is an air-filled matrix. Commercial foam rubber is generally made of synthetic rubber, natural ...
or other soft material that is placed on the sauna
A sauna (, ) is a room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a sauna is used to meas ...
bench and then sat on.
Purpose
The purpose of pefletti is to maintain good hygiene, in a public same-sex, nude sauna, by preventing genital contact with the bench. Another reason is to prevent an uncomfortable feeling because of, and to better bear, the heat, by using a seat cover. The pefletti come in both disposable and re-usable varieties. The word pefletti is a combination of the Finnish words "peffa", which is a mildslang
A slang is a vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing and speech. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of pa ...
word for one's behind, and "tabletti", meaning placemat
A placemat or table mat is a covering or pad designating an individual place setting, unlike the larger tablecloth that covers the entire surface. Placemats are made from many different materials, depending on their purpose: to protect, decorat ...
.
The pefletti has a role in the very traditional yet varied sauna habits in Finland; it is one of the “do’s … of the Finnish sauna.”
The larger kind of "pefletti" made of linen or cotton fabric, that covers either the majority of the width of the sauna bench, or a single seat of the bench and backrest for one sitter is called a laudeliina. This cloth is usually washed after each use and used for sanitary and comfort purposes such as the pefletti.
See also
*Sisu
is a Finnish word variously translated as stoic determination, tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness. It is held by Finns to express their national character. It is generally considered not to have a single-word ...
References
Sauna Culture of Finland {{Finland-stub