I was surprised to learn that lots of people haven't heard of the tradition of washing your face in the May dew. I found this information in The Guardian when searching for some information on the subject.
'Some of the oldest May Day traditions are connected with dew. According to folklore, the dew on 1 May has magical properties and anyone who washes their face in it will have a flawless complexion for the entire year. May dew was also said to be able to remove spots, freckles and pimples.
This country belief was widely accepted by city folk, as famously recorded by diarist Samuel Pepys. 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."
A traditional rhyme says that the maid who rises early on May morning "And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree, Will ever after handsome be." Others suggest that the dew had to be collected from ivy leaves, or from grass under oak trees. The one factor universally agreed upon is that the dew is only effectual at or just before sunrise.
The best way to be sure of catching the early dew was to stay out all night in the woods or meadows - though some might suspect other motives for such an adventure. In 1583, puritan Philip Stubbes recorded that of the girls who spent the May Day eve in the woods, "scarcely the third part of them returned home again undefiled." The modern obsessions with appearance and young people's sexual behaviour go back quite some way.'
Perhaps washing my face in the dew from the grass in my back garden might not have the same effect, but it was fun doing it!!!
What a delightful history!!! People really have always been much the same! I had never heard that bit of folklore...and here in SoCal we'd be hard pressed to have a dewy morning! The only note I made of droplets were those on a lady bug I was photographing in the afternoon, and she was indeed, lovely!
Beautiful shot and really entertaining info 👍 we have a bit of folklore here on the first sunday of May ( and in some places later) people take an early morningwalk and were called “dauwtrappers” : people who tread on the dew. But nothing about collecting it or washing your face with it or having to sleep the night in it 😉
Beautiful photo and information. Thank you for sharing this information and for letting me picture you in my mind, down on your hands and knees in the back of your garden washing your face with the dew on your grass!
Super shot, and what a lot of interesting info on May day. I used to belong to a folk dance group and every year they would 'dance the sun up' in the market square. They didn't get much of an audience at that time of day! They would then go for a big breakfast at someone's house. I only did it once - too early for me, and when you're at work, not easy to keep going. They would then return in the evening to 'dance the sun down'. Sadly the group is much depleted now, but they wouldn't have been able to gather this year anyway.
Fascinating May Day info....all new to me too! I love all that history & the mind boggles at all those goings on in the woods!
You know now that we will all be wanting a reminder on the 30th April next year so we can stay up & bury our faces in the dew!
Well shucks, I'm doomed to have freckles and signs of aging for the rest of the year seeing as I didn't know about this magical bit of folklore and thus missed out on May 1st's dew. Pretty picture you've taken to commemorate the occasion.
That was a fun read- folklore and history is a good combo! Your Tulip is quite the beauty- but I suspect that is from soaking up that May Day dew through its roots. Good shot!
@gijsje I heb t opgezocht en blijkbaar waren er verschillende data waarop het gebeurde, de eerste zondag van mei en Hemelvaart vallen daaronder dus je hebt gelijk !
In mijn herinnering was dauwtrappen op Hemelvaartsdag, maar ik kan me vergissen...
I could do with some of that dew!!
You know now that we will all be wanting a reminder on the 30th April next year so we can stay up & bury our faces in the dew!