HONEY AND LOVE

With the month of Love upon us, we look at how honey represents sweetness, love and fertility across many cultures and their rituals.

Honey is seen as a blessing, a provision of abundance and richness. It really all starts with the Queen Bee being the mother of the hive, representing love and care for her colony. Her sole purpose in life is to unite and lead her colony and lay eggs to continue the hive.

In ancient writings, honey mixed with milk is a sign of fertility, both in humans and in land. Where you find honeybees, pollinating the plants, making their hives and honey, you will find thriving land and flora. Honey is often gifted at life’s great rites of passage, such as birth and marriage, to show a sweet and prosperous life ahead. It can even be gifted at corporate events to represent strong, healthy business relationships.

There are many examples of where honey is used in nuptial ceremonies. In this region it is common for the bride and groom to feed one another honey as part of the marriage ceremony to signify the sweetness of their life ahead together.

Across the globe, a “honey kiss” seals a newlywed’s marriage. They dab some honey on each other's lips right before the pronouncement and kiss. This gesture promises that the couple will be a source of sweetness for each other throughout their lives.

In ancient Egypt, honey was part of the marriage contract and a promise from the Groom to his Bride:

“I take thee to wife and promise to deliver to thee yearly 12 jars of honey”.

In Hinduism, Madhuparka, meaning “a mix of honey”, is considered the highest form of reception at wedding ceremonies. In Gujarati marriages, one of the rituals is for the Groom to be fed milk and honey or yogurt and honey by the Bride’s father. Sweets and desserts are always gifted at Hindu weddings, making honey perfect:

“Honey, this is honey. The speech of thy tongue is honey. In my mouth lives the honey of the bee. In my teeth lives peace”.

In Armenia, newlyweds are known to eat a spoonful of honey after their wedding ceremony to symbolise happiness. While in Greece, the Bride and Groom are fed honey from silver spoons, as a symbol of sweetness.

In Persian weddings, a bowl of honey is placed on the ceremony table (the Sofreh Aghd). Once the nuptials are completed, the Groom holds this bowl as both him and his new wife dip their pinky finger inside and feed the honey to each other off it. This, again, represents sweetness. Honey is a great alternative to traditional sugared almonds as weddings favours.

If you are in sorcery, you may already know that honey was used in Love Spells in ancient times. Enchantresses used to believe that honey is so sweet, it is bound to generate sweetness and affection and bring people closer. The Honey Jar spell involves writing your wish on some paper and placing it in a jar filled with honey, ensuring you taste some of the honey off your finger in the process:

“Just like this honey is sweet, that’s how they will be for me”

There is no need to be casting any spells though… If you are looking to impress a loved one this Valentines’ Day or are looking to gift somebody a thoughtful wedding, engagement or new baby gift, look no further than Blossom Honey.