According to Frederick News Post, "the tradition of a honeymoon after marriage can be traced to a Scandinavian custom where the man had to capture his bride-to-be for a month, or one full cycle of the moon, and then drank mead with her to celebrate their new marriage." During this month of seclusion, mead (honey) beer was supposed to guarantee fertility in the marriage.

Another suggestion is that the month-long drinking of mead by the groom in whatever quantity he wanted was a test of being a "real" man. If it was determined that he could handle his mead, then he was donned a "real" man. In passing the "real" man test, he gained approval from the father of the bride. This month-long drinking was known as "honey-month." This evolved into honeymoon.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, British writers referred to honeymoon as " waxing and waning of marital affection.

Today honeymoon is more or less a getaway vacation for the couple after the marriage ceremony. Popular destinations for honeymooners are Hawaii and the Caribbean.

 Cheryl McCann