Origins of the Honeymoon
Ever wonder where the idea and name for the honeymoon comes from?
In Viking lore, the family and friends of the groom and bride would give the newly wed couple enough mead to last for a month. And well, the Vikings drank mead! Mead is made with honey, along with the understanding that a month is a measure of time closely corresponding with the length of time required by the moon to revolve once around the Earth.
Put the two together and you get honey mead for a moon cycle or "honeymoon".
There are actually several different theories where the tradition of the honeymoon comes from. According to mentalfloss.com “The etymology of the word comes from the Old English “hony moon.” Hony, a reference to honey, refers to the “indefinite period of tenderness and pleasure experienced by a newlywed couple," and "how sweet the new marriage is.”
Unfortunately, there is not a lot of solid information out there for most of the theories where the honeymoon came from. We may never find out the where it all began, but that’s the adventure!
- by Peter and Ivonova
Support Norhalla on Patreon
Shop Norhalla's Books on Amazon
* Norhalla is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. The affiliate advertising program is designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. Norhalla earns a small commission and that keeps the website alive. Win win!