What?
I love this phrase. If you don’t know what it means, let me enlighten you. Basically it’s this: Don’t throw away, ie take off or remove any clothes (clout) before the end of May. Or alternatively until the may (hawthorn) has blossomed (is out), which is in May.
So basically, ladies, don’t start thinking about summer until the end of May. Keep your clothes on.
Why this is important
Well, it’s not important, not in the grand scheme of things. It doesn’t affect world peace, or bringing our children up, or learning about love. But it is important for a sense of perspective about what we wear and why we wear it.
Deal with what we have
We have a varied temperature with rain, snow, sun and cloud. It’s unrealistic to expect to go straight into sandals and linen trousers simply because we think the temperature is going to become Caribbean-like just because we wish it would be so. Our island temperature is nuanced and so should our clothing be. Learn to love the nuances.