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Bachelorette party
Hen night
A bachelorette party, hen(s) party, hen(s) night or hen(s) do, is a party held for a woman who is about to be married. The terms hen party or hen night are common in theUnited Kingdom and Ireland, while the terms hens party or hens night are common in Australia and New Zealand, and the term bachelorette party is common in the United Statesand Canada. The term stagette is sometimes used in Canada.[1] It may also be referred to as a girls' night out or kitchen tea (South Africa in particular) or other terms in other English-speaking countries.
The bachelorette party is modeled after the bachelor party,[2] which is itself historically a dinner given by the bridegroom to his friends shortly before his wedding.[3] Despite its reputation as "a sodden farewell to bachelor days" or "an evening of debauchery," a bachelorette's party is simply a party, given in honor of the bride-to-be, in the style that is common to that social circle.[2]
The bachelorette party is consciously modelled after the centuries-old bachelor's party,[2][4] which is itself historically a dinner given by the bridegroom to his friends shortly before his wedding.[3]
Although the practice of giving a party to honour the bride-to-be goes back for centuries, in its modern form, the bachelorette party may have begun during the sexual revolution of the 1960s. It was uncommon until at least the mid-1980s, and the first book on planning bachelorette parties wasn't published until 1998.[4] Its cultural significance is largely tied to concepts of gender equality.[4]
Initially, parties in honour of the bride-to-be that were labeled as bachelorette party often involved displays of sexual freedom, such as trading intimate secrets, getting drunk, and enjoying male strippers. Parties that honored the bride-to-be without these elements avoided that label.[4] Now the term is used for a wide variety of parties.[5][6]
The phrase "Hen Party" mirrors the male "Stag Party" in referencing social stereotypes of each gender at the party.[7]
Many different kinds of entertainment are selected, depending on what the organizers think will best please their guest of honor. While notions of a bachelorette party as a night of drunken debauchery persist in some social circles, it is becoming widely seen in America as an opportunity for female bonding.[5] According to etiquette expert Peggy Post, "Whatever entertainment is planned, it should not embarrass, humiliate, or endanger the honoree or any of the guests."[2]
When held in a private venue, such as the hostess's home, the party may take any form that pleases the hostesses and honors the bride-to-be. Dinners and cocktail parties, which provide comfortable opportunities for participants to talk or to give intimate advice to the bride-to-be, are common.[2] Other hostesses choose a themed party, such as a "pamper party," with guests indulging in spa treatments, or a cooking class.[8]While proposing a toast to the bride-to-be is common at most bachelorette parties, some center on drinking games.
Many companies sell products aimed at the organizers of bachelorette parties, including packs of themed games, pre-printed invitations, decorations, novelties, and sex toys.
Participants are often all women, though gay male friends are also welcome and are becoming increasingly common. Bridesmaids (if any) are typically invited, but any of the bride's close friends may be included.[2]
This party is typically hosted by one or more members of the wedding party, although it is possible for any friend to host a party in honor of the bride-to-be. Formally, a party in honor of the bride-to-be is never hosted by the bride-to-be,[9] although she may participate in its planning. While it is normally the duty of a hostess to pay for the entertainment she gives her guests, it is common in most English-speaking countries for participants to share the costs of this event.[2] Whether the bride-to-be pays her share, or whether her share is divided between other participants is something to be determined by the organizers and the bride-to-be during the early stages of the planning process.
Participating in a bachelorette party is always optional, and many brides decline these parties altogether.[2] Neither bridesmaids nor other friends can be required either to attend or to pay for any part of this party.[10]
Since it is derived from a formal dinner, a bachelorette party is properly held in the evening,[3] usually about a week (or at least a few days) before the wedding,[2] and usually includes dinner, although alternative approaches are not uncommon.[2]
A more traditional alternative is the bridesmaids luncheon, hosted by the bride and/or her mother during the day, usually several days or a week before the wedding.[2][3] At a bridesmaids luncheon, the bride often presents a small gift to each bridesmaid.
If a significant aspect of the party is presenting small gifts to the bride-to-be, then the event is properly called a bridal shower. For the convenience of the bride-to-be, bridal showers are usually held earlier than a bachelorette party.[11]
A stag and doe party, also called a "Jack and Jill", "buck and doe" or "hag" (hen + stag) party, is a similar party that includes men and women. It may combine aspects of a drinking game with fundraising.
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