First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes an awesome week-long honeymoon in Greece that eventually results in a baby in a baby carriage.
Almost every newlywed couple today goes on honeymoon, whether its a staycation or overseas trip. The term as we know it today refers to an often costly post-wedding trip newly married couples take together to celebrate their nuptials. But, as with everything else in weddings, this term has an interesting history.
According to the New York Post, the concept of a honeymoon can be dated back to the 5th century. The word ‘honeymoon’ derives from the old english ‘honey moone’. In these times, moon cycles were a measurement of time that typically lasted a month. After a wedding, couples were gifted with a moon cycle’s worth of mead, an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, and sometimes various fruits, spices, grains, or hops. This mead was meant to keep the couple happy, and also symbolised the sweetness of marriage. Mead was also said to be an aphrodisiac, so couples were encouraged to consume all of it within the moon cycle to heighten their sexual appetite and encourage fertility.
In 19th century England, newlyweds celebrated their honeymoon by going on a bridal tour to visit family and friends who were not able to attend the wedding. It was only by the late 19th century that honeymoons became how we know them today.
Of course, with time, things change. Today, couples go on honeymoon for a relaxing and romantic break together to ring in their commitment. This is considered the ‘honeymoon period’ when the couples is at their most loved-up.
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