Most people know a ‘honeymoon’ as the trip you and your partner take after the wedding. Newlywed couples either set off directly after the reception or after a couple of days. Believe it or not, but the ‘honeymoon’ was not always known as the romantic getaway we know today. So how did it start?
Merriam-Webster’s honeymoon definition is ‘a period of harmony immediately following marriage’, ‘a period of unusual harmony especially following the establishment of a new relationship’ and ‘a trip or vacation taken by a newly married couple’. Their first known use dates back all the way to 1546.
The term was used to describe the first month of marriage. Honey meaning sweet and great, and moon relating to the period of time (a month), not Earth’s natural satellite. So essentially, the honeymoon referred to the first month of marriage while it’s blissful and lovely and you’re oh-so-inlove.
View this post on Instagram
Porque o amor e a felicidade andam de mãos dadas! Alberobello – Puglia – Itália 📸 @claudiaraia
In the 19th century, however, couples from Great Britain would go on a bridal tour of sorts, which entailed the newlywed couple visiting family and friends that weren’t able to make it to their wedding.
Nowadays, couples go on honeymoon for a little holiday after the wedding. It’s time away from the ‘real’ world where they can focus on each other, relax and just enjoy themselves.
Image: Pexels
