What is the name of the Finnish Christmas Eve sauna tradition?

The Finnish Christmas Eve sauna tradition is called Joulusauna.

Joulusauna literally means “Christmas sauna.” In Finland, Christmas Eve, or jouluaatto, is the central day of the holiday, and families traditionally bathe in the sauna before the main festivities begin. The sauna was historically a place for washing, relaxation, and important family rituals, so preparing for Christmas there carried both practical and symbolic meaning.

A traditional Christmas sauna was often taken earlier than an ordinary evening sauna, commonly before sunset. Older Finnish beliefs held that the spirits of deceased ancestors might return during the Christmas season and use the sauna, so the room could be cleaned and left respectfully ready. In some traditions, food or drink was also left for the sauna spirit, known as the saunatonttu.

Joulusauna is not the same as a Finnish Christmas meal or the character Joulupukki, the Finnish gift-bringer. The word describes the seasonal sauna custom itself. Modern families may adapt the timing or use an electric sauna, but the tradition remains a recognizable part of Finnish Christmas culture.