A
honeymoon is the traditional trip taken
by newlyweds to celebrate their marriage,
and presumably, consummate it. Today,
honeymoons are often celebrated in places
that are secluded, exotic, warm, or otherwise
considered special and romantic —
for example, warm, sunny beaches, scenic
coastlines, and mountain retreats. A recent
trend among couples is to combine the
wedding and honeymoon into one experience.
This is typically called a "weddingmoon"
or a "destination wedding."
Look up honeymoon in Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.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. Honeymoon,
a term proverbially applied to the newly-married,
who will not fall out (quarrel) at first,
but they love the other at the beginning
exceedingly, the likelihood of their exceeding
love appearing to assuage [any quarrels];
this time is commonly called the honeymoon.
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