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College students jump into sea for good luck on exams
Hundreds of students in crimson gowns honored John Honey before a dawn plunge into the North Sea for luck during exams.
- On Friday, May 1, 2026, hundreds of University of St Andrews students marked May Day by braving the chilly North Sea at dawn, a tradition intended to bring good luck for the upcoming exam season.
- Festivities began the previous evening with the Gaudie, a torchlit procession where students donned red robes to honor John Honey, a scholar who rescued five crew members from the stranded Janet of Macduff in 1800.
- Custom dictates the cold dip absolves academic transgressions, while the event also serves as a cure for the legendary curse of Patrick Hamilton, whose PH initials students avoid stepping on to prevent exam failure.
- Although the origins of the May Dip date back to at least the 20th century, the practice was suspended in 2020 due to Covid restrictions before successfully recommencing in 2022.
- Prince William and Catherine, who met while studying at the university, have no record of participating in the dip, though William joked, "Fortunately for Catherine and me, we ended up married.
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College students jump into sea for good luck on exams
In the early hours of the morning, the robes come off, and students take an icy dip in the North Sea.
·Cherokee County, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left0Leaning Right4Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
C 60%
R 40%
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