Washing your face seems to be a major ritual and important part of the day for several cultures around the world. Washing the face appears commonly in Tang-Dynasty Chinese poetry, and whenever I ask my Chinese or Russian students to describe their day, they almost always begin, "I got up, washed my face, and...".

As a rural American, this is strange to me. I've talked to other Americans, both male and female, and it seems strange to them as well. Except for women removing makeup at the end of the day and teenagers with acne, Americans usually don't see their faces as filthier or more in need of cleaning than the rest of our bodies. I get up, brush my teeth, and take a shower. While I'm showering, I wash my face, but it's not a separate ritual.

So, is washing your face an important part of the day in your culture? Can you think of anything that might explain the difference between cultures where face-washing is important and cultures where it isn't?

I'd also like to hear from Brits on this question. Several of the British-made language resources that I use mention face-washing, but I've seen face-washing much less often in British TV and literature than I have in Chinese TV and literature. I'm not sure if this is actually part of British culture, or just something they add to language resources to account for their readers' culture. Do most Brits treat face-washing as a part of the morning ritual separate from showering?