Invicta Vlogs
May Day
Early on the morning of 1 May I ventured outside and undertook my annual ritual of washing my face in the May dew. Why? You most likely ask!
At a very early age I was ‘encouraged’ to take part in this strange tradition by my grandmother. According to folklore, the dew of 1 May has magical properties and anyone who washes their face in it will have a youthful complexion and good fortune for the entire year. Obviously, I soon suspected that this was a Scottish money saving ruse to save on forking out for Oil of Olay (or Ulay as it was known back then!)
This custom is believed to be one of the oldest May Day traditions, dating back to at least the 1600s and was mentioned by the diarist Samuel Pepys. Pepys wrote 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."
The type of dew in which one should wash does seem to be open to personal choice. A line from a traditional rhyme advises that those who rise early on May morning should ‘wash in dew from the hawthorne tree’. However, other sources suggest that the dew had to be collected from the grass under an oak tree or directly from ivy leaves. One matter of universal agreement, however, is that the dew must be collected and applied just before sunrise if it is to have the desired effect.
Sadly, this particular face washing custom appears to be on the wane. An Edinburgh Herald report from 1 May 1968 makes mention of 4,000 people who made the early morning climb up Arthur’s Seat (a famous hill in Edinburgh) to enjoy the annual ritual: “The summit of the hill was crowded with people old and young, huddled together trying to keep warm in the crisp, clear morning air”.
By 1987, it was stated that the numbers for the early morning climb had dwindled to just 300. And, most recently there is considerable doubt that anyone is now actively taking part in this ancient custom.
So, a few days ago when bathing my face in cold wet grass at dawn, it made me think of all the rituals and traditions that we have had to cancel, curtail or adapt over the last year, both at school and at home.
And it is with a certain sense of relief and hope that I expect we will not lose, but instead be able to return to the many traditions and customs important to us as families and communities.
I know that as a school we are looking forward to reinvigorating our own Invicta rituals and traditions, however quirky! From our whole school Mariah Carey sing-along at Christmas to week-long ridiculous RAG events. Simple things like ‘Chip Friday’ to the absolute hilarity of Eurovicta! Community events such as the Spelling Bee and FIGS Invicta Fair; our long standing trips to St Omer, Ypres and so many further afield; numerous musical, dance and drama productions; Sports Day; ‘Girls Night In’ and of course the famous ‘running the teacher gauntlet of applause’ at the end of each term.
So many of these events are more than ‘just opportunities’ – they are customs and traditions that help define who we are as school community and I know that we cannot wait until we are in a position to roll them out en masse again.
I hope that you too will soon be able to return to your various family traditions – be it Sunday roast with the extended relatives, family gatherings or simply day trips and outings that have memories and particular significance for you.
