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Reader question: Please explain this sentence – The numbers of older women and younger men are staying together for longer periods of time, with a rise in marriage between May to December couples – and “May to December” in particular? My comments: It means more older women are dating younger men and their relationships are lasting, often resulting in marriage. Here, May represents the younger men, December the elderly women. How come? May is the month between spring and early summer (in the northern hemisphere at any rate). This time of year, temperatures rise and things begin to, well, hot up. Flowers bloom. Animals stir, too as the mating season begins for many species. December, on the other hand represents the end of the year, dead winter. Now, temperatures drop to freezing and many animals resort to hibernating. In other words, not a whole log of goings-on anywhere in the natural world. Hence, a May to December relationship represents the unconventional match between a young man and an older woman, or (more often yet) vice versa – younger woman vs. older man. Much older man, as a matter of fact. If the age difference is 5 years, that’s not a May to December matchup, more likely a May to June relationship and kind of normal. A 26-year-old boy/girl with an 82-year-old lady/gentleman, on the other hand, is more likely the case – and likely raising an eyebrow or two. | 
