I have a new daughter-in-law. Her name is Sarah and she and my son Jeremy were married last month. Two years ago, I could not have imagined this, but now I am a mother-in-law to a strong, beautiful woman.
Nuptials. Weddings. Bridal. Matrimonial. Marital. Conjugal. Connubial. Matrimony. I do.
Historically, June is the most popular month to marry. But why? Let’s look at a few facts.
June is named after the Roman goddess Juno. Some believed her the queen of Roman gods, protector of women, and goddess of love, marriage, and childbearing. She was known as the god of marriage and childbirth, and the wife of Jupiter, king of the gods. This, for no other reason, made June the most favorable to be wed in ancient history.
In long-ago Celtic tradition, many young couples were paired up on May Day and married in June. And so the tradition continues today, but mostly because the weather is nice.
As I was researching the month of June, I came across the following at British museum dot org. I had learned this many years ago, but it faded from my memory. I think it’s good to remind ourselves once in a while that much of what we do, a lot of what we do, is from man-made traditions whose meanings were long ago lost.
January is named after the Roman god Janus. He had two faces so he could see the future and the past. He was also the god of doors.
February is named after an ancient Roman festival of purification called Februa.
March is named after Mars, the Roman god of war. The Roman calendar originally began in March, and the months of January and February were added later, after a calendar reform.
April takes its name from the Latin word aperire, meaning 'to open' (just like flowers do in spring). The Romans called the month Aprilis.
May is named after the Greek goddess Maia.
July and August were named after two major figures of the ancient Roman world: the statesman Julius Caesar and Rome's first emperor, Augustus.
But what about the rest?
September, October, November, and December are named after Roman numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10. They were originally the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months of the Roman year.
Before July and August were renamed after Roman rulers, they were called Quintilis and Sextilis, meaning fifth and sixth months.
Here's one last fact – the word 'month' itself is related to the moon. It originally measured how long it took for the moon to complete a cycle around the earth, so 'moon' and 'month' come from the same root.
But back to weddings and the question, “Why June?”
The tradition dates back to Roman times when on June 1st each year the people celebrated the festival of Juno and his wife Jupiter. In Victorian times, the tradition is thought to have continued because there were flowers available for wedding décor.
I have an anniversary coming up this month. Of course, Wendell is no longer with me to celebrate, but I will always think fondly of June 26, 1984.
The most popular Bible verses to be read at a wedding are from 1 Corinthians 13. We call it the Love Chapter. But the heading on my Bible calls it “The Greatest Gift”.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
“And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
“If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 ESV
Love is the greatest gift.
When I think about new love, those new feelings, it warms my heart. Every color is brighter, every sound crisper, everything in the world is better when you are in love. You linger longer, you find reasons to call or text, or better yet, you need no reason at all. Wouldn’t it be great if life would go on hold for a year, just so you could relish your time with each other after the wedding?
We look forward to a 1 week or 2-week honeymoon. What if we could have 12 whole months off to enjoy each other? No work, no real responsibilities outside of home…that would be wonderful!
Hmmmm, I wonder if we could make it a law. Well, it used to be. Yes. It used to be a law.
I stumbled on a text that I have no memory of ever reading or hearing before. It made me smile thinking of the thoughtfulness that went in to this law.
“When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.” Deuteronomy 24:5 NKJV
I love that!! There is so much in those 39 or so words. It is rich with significance.
The ESV reads this way:
“When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife (or to make happy his wife) whom he has taken.”
When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army or be given any business or work duties. He gets one year off simply to be at home making his wife happy. The Message Version
That text, verse 5, is under a heading titled “Miscellaneous Laws” and that is all that is said about it; nothing more.
His whole purpose of being home for one year was to make his wife happy! Can you imagine? They would no doubt learn to speak each other’s love language and we will talk more about that on Monday.
And now for the rest of the chapter: “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away…When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 ESV
by Jeanette Stark – Friday, June 9, 2023
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