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The vihta, the sauna birch whisk

The vihta, the sauna birch whisk

A vihta is a bundle of leafy birch branches you soak and then pat yourself with in the heat; people say it spreads the steam and wakes up the skin. The Võromaa smoke sauna tradition in the south, whisk-making included, has been on UNESCO's heritage list since 2014.

Photo: Santeri Viinamäki, Wikimedia Commons.