Meaning
A bath taken in water steeped with 'bush', meaning boiled or crushed herbs and leaves. People take a bush bath to feel cleansed, when they are unwell, or to wash away bad luck. It sits beside bush tea as part of Jamaican home practice, and the herbs used change with what the bath is for.
Examples
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Granny boil di bush fi wi bush bath.
Granny boiled the herbs for our bush bath.
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Mi tek a bush bath fi wash weh di bad luck.
I took a bush bath to wash away the bad luck.
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Afta di fever, dem gi di pickney a bush bath.
After the fever, they gave the child a bush bath.
Origin
From 'bush', the wild herbs and leaves gathered for remedies, and 'bath'. See Bush.
How it’s used
A folk practice, so people speak of what it does in terms of tradition and belief. Basil is one of the herbs used. See Bush tea, Balm yard, Basil.