10 June 2015

How June Brides Came to Be

Weddings have evolved over the years and have shifted in theme, style, and ceremony to move along with the times. One thing that hasn’t changed for decades and centuries, even, is the popularity of the June bride. For most of the Western world, the middle of the year is the month of choice when it comes to holding weddings.

The tradition started as far back as the time of the Roman Empire, with a festival that honored Juno—wife of Jupiter and goddess of marriage and childbirth. The first of June had couples recovering from the auspicious month of May, which was also called the month of the unhappy dead for the Romans. June signaled rebirth, union, fertility and all the same facets we celebrate in weddings to this day.

Celtic tradition also may have had a hand in this June tradition. June 21st is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere—it marks the onset of summer and is the longest day of the year. What we know now as the honeymoon is the first moon after the solstice and was first called the “honey moon.” Honeymoon babies are born in the springtime the following year and are born into a time of good weather, falling perfectly into the turning of the wheel of the year, skipping the challenging winter and moving right on along with the fall harvest (the busiest time of the year).

With the seasons and even ancient beliefs differing over on the other side of the world, the Philippines has practices separate from what the West espouses. In the tropics, June typically marks the arrival of typhoon season and the start of the school year rather than summer and weddings. The most celebratory time for our culture comes in December. With the Christmas and New Year rush, the arrival of balikbayans and slews of family reunions and parties, this month is filled to the brim with weddings for many reasons. The weather is cool and quite chilly during this time of year, it is an ideal time to get the entire family together (family attendance is key, after all, to the Pinoy wedding!).

Regardless of what time of year you get married, weddings are a wonderful way to dig a little deeper into cultural cues and how we allow traditions to change with us in meaningful ways.

Photo courtesy of: www.limedoodledesign.com