May Dip

May Dip is a tradition at St Andrews that honors John Honey who was a student in 1800 when a small ship the Janet of Macduff ran aground east of the harbor. Heroically, he stripped off his clothes and stormed into the sea and saved the lives of five of the men trapped aboard. Now, we stay up until dawn at various parties and run into the sea at dawn. 

The seen this morning at dawn

May Dip cleanses students of their academic sins. Sins that can be washed a way by a dip in the North Sea at dawn, include academic incest or stepping on the PH stone. Traditionally in the fall semester, third year students become academic parents to new first years and serve as mentors and friends, sometimes romantic relationships ensue and to atone for their sins academic parents and academic children partake in May Dip. 

The PH stone outside St Salvators Chapel

The PH stone, refers to stones outside of St Salvators Chapel, where Protestant Reformer Patrick Hamilton was martyred in 1528. Stepping on the stone is terribly unlucky and you will often see people jumping out of the way to avoid it. Legend has it if you step on the stone you'll fail your degree. So the superstitious, too, take to the sea to ensure the exams they are about to sit will be curse-free.

Despite the rainy weather and the blistering winds hundreds of students still managed to stay up the entire night to make it into the sea this morning. The temperature in the water was around 40ºF and the temperature outside was somewhere in the 30s. But with a little bit of liquid courage, anything is possible. And it doesn't hurt when you can no longer feel your hands and toes!

Bundled up after taking a dip in the North Sea