Finns divided over traditional sauna term: do you say vihta or vasta?

A simple question—whether to call the traditional Finnish sauna bundle vihta or vasta—has sparked debate among Finns, reports public broadcaster Yle. Now, researchers at the University of Eastern Finland are asking the public to help settle the linguistic divide by sharing their preferred term in a nationwide survey.

The survey, conducted in collaboration with Yle, aims to map regional variations in usage across Finland. Participants are asked to choose between the two words and provide their postal code to help create a dialect map. Responses, along with anonymous demographic data (age, gender, and location), will be used for ongoing language research.

Results will be published in June 2026, with the survey remaining open until the evening of May 17, 2026. The data will also be preserved for future studies, allowing researchers and Yle to analyze trends by postal area.

The origins of both vihta and vasta remain unclear, with even linguists puzzled over which term came first. A previous Yle report explored the mystery behind the words, noting that neither has a definitive etymological advantage.