The 'Honeymoon' is defined in our modern day as"a vacation spent together by a newly married couple"but it seems we could, as with many things be missing the real point! Other definitions include; When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him. He shall be exempt for one year for the sake of his family, to bring joy to the wife he has married.Does this mean the groom takes a year out after the wedding or puts a year in of solely pleasing his wife?? How about taking more than just your partner away with you... in early 19th century Great Britain, the custom of a newlywed couple going on a holiday together was a concept borrowed from the Indian elite, Upper-class couples would take a "bridal tour", sometimes accompanied by friends or family, to visit relatives who had not been able to attend the wedding! The term Honeymoon is used all over the world but in other countries often bears more similarity to the original term; Honey Month, Moon of Honey or simply Honey Weeks. So why do we take time away after the wedding, what is the real history of the honeymoon and where is the link with 'Honey' ?!
It all began in ancient times, the Teutonic people began the practice of the honeymoon as Teutonic weddings were only held under the full moon. After the wedding, the bride and groom would drink honey wine/mead for a whole moon cycle (thirty days). This "moon" (month) became known as the "honey moon." A slight twist on the Teutonic wedding and Honeymoon says that in Babylonia about 4,000 years ago, tradition held that the bride's father would supply his new son-in-law with all the mead (honey beer/wine) that the young man could drink. Their calendar was lunar-based and as it turned out this tradition called the "honey month," was just about the the time it took the groom to consume his gift. Personally I wasn't really quite sure of what Mead was. I knew that beer was an age-old beverage brewed by fermenting grains, wine was an alcoholic drink made of fermented grapes, but not many have heard of mead made from honey. In Europe, honey is fermented to produce this drink.... it is honey wine, also called "Nectar of the gods," or "Drink of Love". Honey wine was the first alcoholic drink brewed by men. Apparently for centuries, honey wine has been renowned as an 'aphrodisiac' and the drinking of Honey Wine for the month after the wedding would increase fertility and therefore the chances of a happy and fulfilled marriage. So with this information, while the name survived, the purpose of the honeymoon changed..... in modern day after the wedding newlyweds leave their family and friends to go and do what newlyweds are supposed to do. How close are we to the original tradition? Not many of us are lucky enough to have a whole month away anymore than having the bride's father supplying the groom with a months worth of alcohol !!! But I'm guessing that a couple of weeks in an All-Inclusive resort with unlimited alcohol, sunshine and away from the stresses and strains of work and the bills may also suffice to increase fertility and therefore the chances of a happy and fulfilled marriage!!!! rite your post here. |
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CategoriesHoneymoonsWedding Gift Lists Wedding Planning Weddings Abroad |
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