Mid May and here in the UK the hawthorn (or may) blossom is at its peak. Superstition says it’s extremely unlucky to bring hawthorn flowers into the house. It’s to do with the smell. They have a distinctive scent the main element of which is triethylamine, which is also one of the first chemicals produced by dead bodies when they start to decay. So no one brings hawthorn blossom into our house – if they did it would be over my dead body!
