Filipinos love rain baths because of childhood memories; science explains more

The rain after summer is a welcoming sign of a new season, a new climate to adapt to. But for Filipinos, it also brings back memories of their childhood, and a culture that resonates with everyone.

With the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) declaring the rainy season on June 4, the country now shifts from dry to wet mode as the first few drops of rain pours.

Filipinos have this tradition of Agua de Mayo, a Spanish term with the meaning of “water of May,” which is a strong belief from the elders that the first rain of May brings healing. 

This practice kickstarts the Pinoy culture of bathing in the rain that is especially observed during the first few rainfall of the months of May and June, and is driven mainly by two things: relief from the summer heat and the childhood memories of playing freely in the rain. 

According to a medically-reviewed blog on the healthians, aside from the cooling effect that it provides for the heat of summer, rain is natural water with less acidity, causing less possible harm to the human skin. It strips off natural oils in the skin and hair, and stimulates the production of vitamin B12 which improves skin quality.

Additionally, it also helps with relaxation just from the contact of rainwater to your skin, and boosts the immune system, despite popular beliefs that getting wet in the rain will immediately cause illnesses.

Oftentimes, parents would tell their children stories of their carefree childhood in the rain, and would let them do it as well, even encouraging sometimes, despite their concerns of their children catching sickness from doing the act.

To avoid getting ill, parents would strictly make their children rinse themselves of tap water, sometimes warm, after bathing in the rain to remove any pollutants, dirt, or other contaminants that may have been picked up by the rain or are present in the surroundings.

Though, the Cleveland Clinic states that bathing in the rain does not directly cause sickness. Instead, it is prolonged exposure to cold, wet, and windy conditions that can make a person ill due to the physical constraint it exposes the body to, making it vulnerable to infections.

Nevertheless, this storytelling and reenacting loop would then continue for generations, keeping the culture of bathing in the rain preserved, and millions of new memories are formed under the natural shower of water. 

The rain may be a sign of the wet season, a transition where everything becomes frequently drenched and humid. But it is also a reminder for Filipinos of their culture of bathing in the rain, passing on generations of childhood memories resonating in their minds, where each drop feels like waters that have cycled through these shared experiences of time and place.