I have some friends about to be married.
I’d like to convince them they should take a honeymoon of some sort.
I’m curious if anyone knows how this tradition came about?
I don’t really need honeymoon suggestions, thanks anyway.
I’m full of good ideas!
“Honeymoon” nowadays just means “wedding vacation.” Back in olden times, it was the time to get away from everything to enjoy the carnal consummation of the marriage–typically not an issue nowadays. It’s just a wedding vacation.
Further back, it simply referred to the first month of marriage, when everything is sweet and before everything goes all to hell. (OED and me)
But. . . you do have an interesting question still–when did the concept of taking a consummation vacation arise? Further back in olden times, I would assume that it would just occur at home.
I read this somewhere, and more than likely it was here on the SDMB. The honeymoon is a celebration that lasts for the first month after marriage. Which is where the MOON in honeymoon comes from. The HONEY comes from the large amounts of malted beverage flavored with honey that were drank during the monthlong celebration after the marriage.
According to that nice Mr. Webster, a honeymoon (French, c1546) is “a period of harmony immediately following marriage,” based on “the idea that the first month of marriage is the sweetest.”
From what I have heard, it goes downhill pretty swiftly thereafter.
Here’s what I’ve read, for what it’s worth.
Back in the good old days, they didn’t go much for dating. A caveman would just grab a woman he liked from a nearby cave, and head for the hills. Proposal? Ring? Ceremony? Nah, didn’t need it.
Supposedly, the “best man” was his buddy who helped him get the girl. The honeymoon was the period of time that he was laying low, waiting for the girl’s family to give up on getting her back.
I’ve actually seen this in several sources, though it sounds unlikely to me. Most likely more entertaining than any other explanation, in any event.
Mead. You’re thinking of Mead Wiggum.
From one link:
“Man has been aware of mead for at least 12000 years. There has been a close association between mead and marriage. In pagan times the custom was for the happy couple to drink mead at their wedding and for one moon (or month) afterwards, hence the word honeymoon. Mead was said to aid ones prowess as a lover. If in nine months time a son was born, the maker of the mead was congratulated on a very fine brew!! Yes we have had many congratulations: one couple who purchased two bottles were blessed with twins!! They came back and ordered 10 bottles for a friend!!”
And another site with an even longer story:
http://home1.gte.net/richwebb/mead.htm
Take care-
-Tcat