Life in the 1500's
By paradisesuns
@paradisesuns (1754)
United States
March 6, 2007 1:27am CST
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by the next month. Even so, they were starting to stink, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty someone could actually get lost in it! Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater."
1 person likes this
5 responses
@Alexandria37 (5717)
• Ireland
6 Mar 07
That all sounds so disgusting...lol. I am glad I wasn't around then. If I had known about all this when I was getting married I don't think I would have bothered about flowers. Come to think of it, I just carried an orchid and a little spray of Lily of the Valley which was attached to my bridal missal.
1 person likes this
@eventualist (819)
• Canada
6 Mar 07
Ewww... and here I'm all happily sitting letting my hair dry after coming out of the shower :P
I love the year that we live in! Makes me wonder why the people didn't decide to get married in May then, since they'd smell good :P
@jeb083079 (839)
• Philippines
6 Mar 07
That's too bad especially for women. It's very unhygienic with all the dirts in the water already, even though it's hot, it's still not clean especially unhealthy for babies. It's really a wonder how people survive those days and it's also the reason why some medical experts have experimented and find ways to show to our world today the effects of having taking a bath.
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