People are only just realising where the term 'honeymoon' comes from

The word 'honeymoon' is an everyday term in the English language, but many of us are only just learning where it comes from.

Celtic traditions and folklore expert Seren Hawley-Plows explained the term is actually a lot older than most people realise. Taking to , she revealed that some accounts trace it as far back as fifth century Europe, and the word is relatively self-explanatory.

"We call it a honeymoon because traditionally after a couple was , they would drink - a fermented honey drink for a full moon cycle after their wedding, hence the term 'honey and moon'," Seren explained.

Seren added that with mead being a "well-known aphrodisiac", it was believed that by drinking it you could increase fertility, which was a symbol of good luck for newlywed couples. However, today the meaning of the word has evolved, she says.

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"Most people now recognise it as a period of time in which newly weds take off together - usually in the form of a holiday abroad," she said. Seren closed, seeking the opinions of her 29,000 followers: "What do you think? Should we bring back the traditions behind this meaning and instead encourage newlyweds to drink mead for a full moon cycle after their wedding?"

"As a mead brewer, it's my standard wedding gift... all for bringing it back," declared one person in reply. A second agreed: "Well not everyone can afford a holiday but a tradition of mead that could be brought by others even would be a great way to reinvigorate the tradition."

A third quipped: "I'd love to have mead for a full cycle, but I don't think my body would appreciate it! (Love the story anyway!)." Meanwhile, a French TikTok user said: "It's still quite common during weddings in Brittany. Mead (or Chouchen as we call it) is offered to newly wedded couples."

Impressed, Seren responded: "I'm not surprised, given Brittany's Celtic past! Amazing to see the tradition still going strong in tiger cultures."

explains that the "taking off" custom Seren referred to dates back to 19th century Britain, adding that it wasn't the blissful escape it is now. "While it did consist of newlyweds travelling together, they basically went on a trip to visit family members and friends who couldn't make it to the ceremony (so, forget about alone time)," the magazine states. "It wasn't until the late 1800s that honeymoons started to look like they do today."