Enterrement de vie de garçon

Having attended my future cousin-in-law's hen party last night I though I'd write a bit on the history and traditions of Stag/Hen nights.

Also know as in the UK as stag, the bachelor party saw it earliest roots as early as the 5th century B.C.  The good old ancient Spartans made a celebration out of their friend's last night as a single man by holding a dinner in the grooms honour and making toasts on his behalf.


Since the 5th century the celebrations have gradually become more, shall we say, adventurous. Many a couple have separated after rumours of what occurred on the last night of freedom. 


The word bachelor was used in the past to mean a young knight or a student with a bachelor's degree, however it's first reference to meaning an unmarried man was in Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' in the 14th century.  It was not used as the term bachelor party until until 1922.  A bachelor party is know in other countries by different names, in the UK, Ireland & Canada we refer to a stag party, in Australia its a buck's party, the Americans used the term bachelor however the French really have the correct words for it: the enterrement de vie de garçon the translation being "the burial of the life as a boy"  (Take note cousin Mark).


As I previously mentioned a stag party generally meant a meal hosted by the grooms friends and toasting the, soon to be, bride and groom, however today this is so different.  Today it is more common to hear about, or partake in, a night or weekend of  humiliation, debauchery & hang-overs.

It wasn't until the 1960's that women started their version of pre-wedding celebrations. The hen party was born out of the equality sexual revolution. No longer was it just a case of a bridal shower whereby gifts were made to the bride in order to acquire a dowry in preparation for the marriage. Some prefer not to be humiliated on their night of celebration, however a lot of 'hens' these days can be as raucous as the stags. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander springs to mind. If men can drink til they drop, so can the women, if men can make a weekend of it, so can the women and if men can have strippers then so can the women.  

You just have to love sexual equality.


But whichever way the stag and hen party's are celebrated they are still celebrating the same thing "fairwell single life, hello married life"  

 Good luck Mark & Leanne (Aug 17th 2012) looking forward to it x