A bidet confounds visitors at the 2026 Winter Olympics

bidet now, Once again, you have a moment. As international athletes and journalists descend on northern Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, some participants have wondered about the extra equipment in their bathrooms. Europeans, well acquainted with oval basins, found themselves similarly perplexed by their confusion. Cultural exchange often has barriers.

Last week, American broadcaster Alicia Lewis posted a video on TikTok asking if the Italian bidet in her room was actually a bidet. An Associated Press report noted, “This match is a must-have in Italian residences but often mystifies visitors — including some athletes whose room videos were double-taped.” Most of the confusion on social media has dissipated, but interest in bidets is on the rise.

When New York City’s new mayor, Zahran Mamdani, moved into Gracie Mansion last month, he talked about having an “ambitious hope” of installing a bidet there. WIRED has also recommended it for some time.

However, it remains a mystery to many. So it seems right to provide a little clarification for beginners.

Although the French are thought to particularly hate the bidet, the tool appears to have been invented in France during the first part of the 18th century. However, the identity of its inventor remains unknown. The name comes from a trans-alpine term referring to ponies, which are small but powerful all-purpose horses (from Presenter“trot”). Basically, it is a reference to the staggered posture adopted to perform the most hygienic practices.

The first evidence of the existence of bidets in Italy comes around 1720. Evidence of their widespread adoption comes in the second half of the century when the Queen of the Two Sicilies, Maria Carolina of Habsburg-Lorraine, demanded that the devices—then simply a basin with leg-like supports—be installed in her private rooms in the Palace of Caserta.

However, the bidet spread throughout Italy only sporadically. In the 20th century, with developments in indoor plumbing, it moved from the bedroom to the bathroom. But its greatest spread occurred after World War II, especially after it became mandatory by law in every private home since 1975.

Today, the bidet is still fairly widespread in Greece, Turkey and Finland (although often in a “shower bidet” version where the shower nozzle is next to the toilet). Toilets are also very popular in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and North Africa.

In Japan, the bidet and toilet have recently been combined into the “sink”, which features automatic and adjustable jets from within the bowl itself.

The renewed social and cultural success of bidets comes hand in hand with a new environmental awareness. When Mamdani extolled the virtues of the device, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection posted a video on social media emphasizing “More bidets = fewer wipes.” With many people choosing wet wipes instead of toilet paper, switching to flush toilets can save on the amount of wipes flushed.

While it seems unlikely that bidets will become widespread in the United States, they are spreading—and they certainly show no signs of being eliminated.

This story originally appeared on Wired Italy. It has been translated from Italian.