Speaking of honeymoons, you have us Indians to thank for that too! Yes, that’s right. Add that to math, chess and the Kama Sutra that Indians are responsible for bringing to the world. Honeymoon is the name now given to the custom of the Indian elite in the early 19th century. Upper-class couples of the Indian sub-continent would take a “bridal tour”, sometimes accompanied by friends or family, to visit relatives who had not been able to attend the wedding. The English borrowed this concept and it soon spread to Europe.
Of course, this newly adopted Indian custom was not without controversy. In Europe, it was viewed by some as giving deliberate public attention to what was assumed to be the wife’s sexual initiation. Despite the controversy, the honeymoon gained in popularity in Europe with the most desirable destinations at the time being the French Riviera and Italy, particularly romantic cities such as Rome or Venice. Those make pretty great destinations today too!
Wherever and however this tradition originated, I am glad it is still part of modern day weddings.
Happy Honeymoon travels to all the newlyweds in the blogosphere!
