The Honeymoon

Legend 1:
In ancient times, many of the first marriages were by capture, not choice.  When early man felt it was time to take a bride, he would often carry off an unwilling woman to a secret place where her relatives wouldn't find them.  While the moon went through all its phases, (about 30 days) they hid from the searchers and drank a brew made from honey.  Hence, we get the word, honeymoon.

Legend 2:
In ancient times, the Teuton people began the practice of the honeymoon. Teuton weddings were only held under the full moon. After the wedding, the bride and groom would drink honey wine for thirty days. Therefore, the period immediately following the wedding became known as the honeymoon. While the name survived, the purpose of the honeymoon changed. After the wedding, newlyweds would leave their family and friends to go and do what newlyweds are supposed to do. Today that purpose survives, only now a vacation is incorporated, usually to a romantic get-away locale.

Legend 3:
Honeymoon -  The word first appears in the 16th century. The honey is a reference to the sweetness of a new marriage. And the moon is not a reference to the lunar-based month, but rather a bitter acknowledgment that this sweetness, like a full moon, would quickly fade.

Legend 4.
The term 'honeymoon' comes from the tradition of the bride drinking mead (a brewed, fermented drink made of honey) for one month after the wedding to encourage fertility, and a male child in particular.

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