EMBARRASS- The Finns of Embarrass, along with their friends, neighbors and visitors from afar, gathered Sunday to celebrate tradition, heritage and community at Sauna Day.
The annual celebration of sauna culture is held at the Nelimark Homestead in Embarrass and put on by SISU Heritage, a charitable organization whose mission is to preserve the history of the Finnish settlers in Embarrass.
The Nelimark features the largest sauna in the area, as well as another antique sauna on display. Two sauna builders, Owen Christensen of Christensen Saunas in Duluth and Troy Persaud of Nordic Legend Products in Cloquet, displayed their hand-crafted saunas.
Saunas are of central importance to the Finnish people. A newlywed couple would often build their sauna before their home, living inside until the home was completed. The sauna would welcome births and steward deaths. It was used, of course, for bathing, but also laundry, butchering and cooking. Saunas have always been acclaimed by Finns for their health benefits and now science can back up those claims.
A quirky tradition that continues at Sauna Day is the boot throwing competition. As SISU Heritage president Marlin Bjornrud tells the story, a Finnish man and his sweetheart were headed through the forest when they came to a swamp. The couple only had one pair of boots between them. The man crossed and tossed his boots back to his sweetheart so she could cross too. So, boot throwing is not a test of how far you can throw the boot, but of how accurately, much like throwing horseshoes.
The event also featured baby goats, music was provided in the morning by Soren Burkum and in the afternoon by accordion player Rosanne Omersa. Craftsman Dale Torma of rural Gilbert provided knowledge of old-world woodworking and farming. He demonstrated how to make a bench with green woodworking, primarily using tools of his own making.