The History of Honeymoons
Honeymoons through time...
A honeymoon is the vacation taken by a new bride and groom to celebrate their marriage together. The holiday is usually taken in a romantic or exotic location, and gives the newlyweds the chance to relax in each others company after the hectic period of the wedding and its planning.
There are a number of theories about the origin of the honeymoon tradition and where the name came from, although it seems to be veiled by the mists of time. Several theories say the word honey is a reference to the alcoholic drink mead, which is made from fermented honey. Apparently honeyed wine was drank for thirty days after the wedding in ancient Babylon, and the groom was given mead by his father-in-law every night for a month after the wedding.
Other sources say that in parts of Europe, particularly northern Europe a newly married couple was supplied with enough mead for a month. In the past a month was referred to as a moon so that appears to be the origin of the word “honeymoon”. Others say it simply refers to the sweetness of a new marriage.
It has been suggested that the idea of going away as a new couple comes from olden times, when the bride was often kidnapped from her family by the groom, and kept in hiding. The family would search for her, but after a period of time she became the grooms property and they could come out of hiding.
It wasn’t until Victorian times that married couples began the modern tradition of leaving for a destination following the wedding ceremony. Initially these trips often involved visiting far-flung relatives who had not been able to attend the wedding, and were sometimes accompanied by other family members!
Traditionally the groom and/or his family should plan the honeymoon as the bride and her family plan most aspects of the wedding. These days many modern couples take care of their own honeymoon planning.
The concept of a honeymoon has become a lot more civilized and romantic over time. For some newlyweds the honeymoon is often the first time away together as a couple, where others may have enjoyed a holiday away together before. Whatever the case may be, a honeymoon is something to cherish as a special time together.