Honeymoon = A Honey Month?

Here in the 21st Century, we think of honeymoons as the time for a newlywed couple to enjoy some alone time after their wedding, usually involving a trip to someplace scenic, secluded, adventurous, or just simply someplace different. But have you ever wondered about the word "honeymoon"? Honey? And moon? And how long have people been going on honeymoons?

There are references to the practice dating back a few thousand years, but the earliest reference in English to the term honeymoon came around in the 1500's. The original meaning of the word was in reference to the time just following the wedding when marriage was at its sweetest, and as the time wore on, the sweetness would wane like the moon. The honeymoon time was thought of to be a month, and the lunar cycle is a month, so literally a "honey month", or the original spelling "hony moone".

In the 19th Century, British citizens adopted a tradition from the Indian subcontinent (which was a territory of Great Britain at the time). They would go on a voyage (usually with friends and family) to visit family that could not make it to the wedding. The tradition spread all over Europe. This was only possible for the more rich members of British society. These trips were frequently called "bridal tours". Late in the 19th Century, the tradition shifted to only the married couple going on a voyage, which began a large tourism trade in the world. The most popular destinations at the time were the French Riviera and Italy. In the early days of the modern honeymoon, the newylwed couple would leave during the reception to make a train or boat to begin their journey, while the party went on without them. In the last hundred years, the honeymoon began to be pushed back to a few days after the reception and sometimes even farther than a week afterwards.

Bet you didn't know that!