Wash Face In Morning Dew 1st May
Some of the oldest may day traditions relate to morning dew with folklore suggesting anyone who bathed in it would have beautiful complexion for the following year.
Wash face in morning dew 1st may. The 1652 book by a dr gerard boate entitled the natural history of ireland says this of the custom. There is an old tale that says that may dew has magic properties and that anyone who has washed their face in it will have a beautiful complexion all through the year. Three girls wash their face in the morning dew at the top of arthur s seat 1987. When scots would wash their faces in the may dew for luck.
The tradition of washing one s face in the morning dew persisted in scotland for hundreds of years having only fallen out of favour. If someone suggests going a maying in edinburgh on may 1 you might want to bring walking shoes. Among the many superstitions associated with may day was the belief that washing the face with dew on the morning of may 1 would beautify the skin and bring good luck. Take the charming custom of washing your face with may dew.
First thing in the morning on may 1st young girls used to rush out into the garden to wash their faces in the may dew. The age old edinburgh tradition of washing your face in the may dew. Walk outside and sprinkle your face with the morning dew or snow. It was especially popular with young women in the city the dew drops were supposed to provide health happiness and beauty for the coming year.
A tradition dating back centuries involves climbing to the top of arthur s seat to wash your face with the first morning dew of may. Bathing in morning dew. The english women and gentlewomen of ireland did use in the beginning of summer to gather good store of dew to keep it by them al the year after for several good uses both. Three girls wash their face in the morning dew at the top of arthur s seat during the traditional may day ceremony in.
He noted that his wife went to woolwich on the night of 30 april 1667 to collect may dew the following morning which mrs turner hath taught her is the only thing in the world to wash her face with. In the month of may especially and also in part of the month of june they would go forth betimes in the morning and before sun rising into a green field and there either with their hands strike off the dew from the tops of the the herbs into a dish or else throwing clean linnnen cloaths upon the ground take off the dew from the herbs.