Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Have you ever thought how you learned how to shower?
That exact question I asked my roommates. Surprisingly, we all had similar experiences.
*information about to be disclosed may not be appropriate for minors*

When we were very VERY very young, we showered with our dear mothers. And there we learned the secret workings of lathering up our hair with shampoo, rinsing with water, and repeating.
Sure, our mothers could have pulled up some instructions to read, but...is there really a need for an explanation for how absurd that seems? To be honest, we all reminisced fondly of those times we spent with our mothers. Personally, I loved it when my mother would lather up my hair for me. In turn, I learned how to suds up my hair and properly cleanse myself.

But has showering always been today's norm of "lather, rinse, repeat" ? I'm sure by now many people would know the answer to that question. (in case you don't, the answer is no..)

 I decided to research Roman baths. I've always been intrigued by the Roman empire. A period said to be ahead of its time. As I researched more into the history behind their public bath houses, it was interesting to see how not only the ritual  of bathing has changed,but also the similarities between the Roman period and now.

One major difference was the publicity of bathing. Nowadays, if someone were to strip down into nothing but their bare skin and begin bathing publicly, he would be swiftly carted off to the local precinct and charged for a whole miscellaneous of things. 
While the typical citizen of Rome may visit the bath house a couple of times a week, it was not just to get scrubby-dub clean again. There would be vendors, musicians, hire-able masseurs, bartenders, and even slaves. Sound like anything of our period? How about the modern-day spa?
Spas have just about the same perks as the ancient public baths did. All be it, more privacy can be had, but if you just compare the basics of both, the similarities are noticeable. 

Bathing for the Romans was a social event everyday. You could see your neighbor, your second cousin, your landlord, perhaps if you're lucky, even the emperor. Not only could you see people you knew or were acquainted with, but you could catch up while bathing together in the bath together! What better way to get to know each other better?  


Now in a non-sarcastic sense, bath-time really was a time meant for bonding and helped bring together families, neighbors, and communities. How can there be no bonding when you are physically close together...naked...

So Romans learned to shower/bathe not only from their parents, but from other Roman citizens that they shared the bath with. An example of how this sort of knowledge is shared and learned by seeing and doing. There was no book or scroll given as you entered the bath house that had detailed instructions on how to properly bath. So even from the ancient Romans to today's time, showering and bathing has always and most likely will always be a knowledge gained from the help of another, not some words on a page. 

Like my roommates' and my own personal experiences, the time spent with our mothers is most likely the same way young Roman children learned to bathe themselves. So bath-time bonding was the same even during ancient times as they are now. There's something sweet in that..

Want a tour of a Roman bath house?