where does the term HONEYMOON comes from?

Answer 1

This is the version I've always heard...
In Medieval Europe,at least among the nobles and royalty, the celebration after a wedding would go on for a whole cycle of the moon.People stayed in the keep with the family for the whole month(moon) and got reaquainted with family and friends. It was a joyous time, and involved lots of feasting and fun. Since it took so long to get from one place to another, it didn't make sense to go that far, just to turn around and head back home a day or two after the wedding.
The drink that was drunk during that time was mead, which was usually made with honey, and maybe apples. It was considered bad luck to run out of mead before the guests left at the end of that's moon cycle.
But after doing a search, this link tells a couple of slightly different origins of the term.
http://www.sherwoodfairytalewedding.com/OurHoneymoon.html

Answer 2

The Oxford English Dictionary offers no etymology at all, but dates the word back to the 16th century:

"The first month after marriage, when there is nothing but tenderness and pleasure" (Samuel Johnson); originally having no reference to the period of a month, but comparing the mutual affection of newly-married persons to the changing moon which is no sooner full than it begins to wane; now, usually, the holiday spent together by a newly-married couple, before settling down at home.
One of the oldest citations in the Oxford English Dictionary indicates that, while today honeymoon has a positive meaning, the word was actually a sardonic reference to the inevitable waning of love like a phase of the moon. This, the first literary reference to the honeymoon was penned in 1552, in Richard Huloet's Abecedarium Anglico Latinum. Huleot writes:

Hony mone, a terme proverbially applied to such as be newe maried, whiche wyll not fall out at the fyrste, but thone loveth the other at the beginnynge excedyngly, the likelyhode of theyr exceadynge love appearing to aswage, ye which time the vulgar people cal the hony mone.

It has also been said that the origins of this word date back to the times of Babylon. In order to increase the virility and fertility of the newlyweds, the father of the bride would provide his son in law with all the mead (a honey-based drink) he could drink during the first month of the marriage (and therefore "moon"). Given that the English word is only four hundred years old, direct attribution to Babylon is questionable, though often repeated. The custom of drinking mead after a wedding for a month was also a medieval custom, however, and in practice at the time the word first appeared.

Other possible explanations of the word honeymoon have to do with the date that weddings traditionally took place. Weddings once commonly took place upon the Summer solstice both for religious reasons earlier on and also for the practical reason that it was the time between the main planting and harvesting of crops. As it was at this time of year that honey was first harvested, it is possible that this is the source.

Answer 3

According to World Wide Words, "honeymoon" first appeared in the 16th century in Richard Huloet's "Abecedarium Anglico Latinum."

"Honeymoon, a term proverbially applied to such as be new married, which will not fall out at the first, but the one loveth the other at the beginning exceedingly, the likelihood of their exceeding love appearing to assuage, the which time the vulgar people call the honey moon."
So, in all those years, the meaning hasn't changed much. It's always referred to the period of time after marriage when love is, well, sweet.

The "moon" in "honeymoon" is likely an allusion to a traditional way of measuring time. Moon phases have largely inspired our modern calendars.

However, there are other opinions. Some believe the word originated in Babylon, named for the time when newly married couples (or just the husband) drank a special beverage which included mead, a honey-based drink. It may very well be true, but it's difficult to find evidence to support the story.

Regardless of how the word originated, Mavens' Word of the Day confirms it didn't become associated with romantic "vacations" until the 18th century.

Answer 4

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a
month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

Answer 5

The Scandinavian word for honeymoon is derived, in part, from an ancient Northern European custom in which newlyweds, for the first month (moon) of their married life, drank a daily cup of honeyed wine called mead. The ancient practices of kidnaping of bride and drinking the honeyed wine date back to the history of Atilla, king of the Asiatic Huns from A.D. 433 to A.D. 453.

Answer 6

Honey moon represents the sweet things that go on the nights after the marriage. hence the word "honeymoon"

Answer 7

Go to this link below. This would come in handy. The origin of word is there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeymoon

Answer 8

i think that moon looks like honey and honey is sweet.

Answer 9

you want your HONEY to show you her MOON!!!!

Answer 10

Dunno.. xD