There are many ways to describe a “raucous” pre-wedding celebration. The concept is unsurprising, as it has existed for centuries in many cultures.
The truth is, bachelor parties that were so extravagant were sporadic. They were almost exclusively the domain of the wealthy. Some people couldn’t afford topless dancers or get away with breaking laws against it. A bachelor can expect toasts, free drinks, and embarrassing stories from his friends.
The bachelor party has become a popular event in the modern age, but it was not always so. In the 1960s and 1970s, cohabitation before marriage became more common, and bachelor life had already disappeared.
Over the years, customs around the world have changed. The Internet has helped to make planning a pre-wedding party easier. From finding ideas to finding, um…companionship. What are the regional variations? As we will soon discover, American and British customs are radically different. What has changed since the Celtic fertility rituals?
Pre-Wedding Party Origins in Sparta
The earliest known pre-wedding celebration comes from Ancient Sparta. This culture had a strange relationship with femininity. Before a man married, his comrades made toasts and advised on what to expect from marriage. The majority of the toasts were not complimentary, and many may have included appeals for people to produce many soldiers to conquer future lands. This is both sad and boring.
We can also read between the words that there was lots of wine. We all agree that, being young, the toasts became less severe the longer the night went on. Not all depressing.
Stag Night Bonfires, Gods, and More
The origins of Stag Nights and Bachelor Parties are very different. The term “stag” is thought to have originated from the Celts’ name for the Horned God: Cernunnos. This is fun history. Early British fertility rituals often featured stags as a symbol. Like the Roman Dionysian ones, these rituals included alcohol, fire, and other things that you’d regret the following day.
The party is a mystery, even beyond its mythological origins. It’s possible that, in addition to jumping bonfires and running around with herds of deer, the young men of Celts were treated to the same toasts as the Spartans but with less aggressive nationalism and more whiskey. The pre-wedding celebration was going well!
The Bachelor Party Tuxedos & Toasts
The whole idea was a failure when it arrived in the U.S. In the U.S., the bachelor party was first introduced in the late nineteenth century, a time of relative calm. It took a long time to catch on, so much so that it wasn’t until 1922 that a reference appeared. There wasn’t a lot of joy in the air, thanks to prohibition, World War I, and stock market crashes. This may have led to more somber traditions on the other side of the Atlantic.
Of course, there were exceptions. The most famous was a party that Herbert Barnum Seeley threw in 1896. It was so rumored the police conducted a raid. Even so, this level of excess was not expected. The term “bachelor party,” often used to describe a black-tie dinner at which male relatives made speeches, was reserved for the rich. The fact that so few mentions of bachelor parties are made, and the tradition of a formal black-tie dinner indicates that most Americans did not have bachelor parties.
The 1960s were the era that gave us the bachelor party we know today. The 1960s were a time of change. The 60s happened. As attitudes towards sexuality and equality shifted, men and women celebrated bachelorette parties. Despite the attitudes of the 60s, it took some time for the culture to be accepted.
The Difference between Bachelor Parties and Stag Nights Today
What are the differences between pre-wedding parties in Britain and America now that black tie dinners, Celtic fertility rituals, and Celtic weddings have been left behind? The differences between the Stag and Bachelor parties in the U.K. and America are primarily determined by the groom’s interests rather than the region.
In both regions, people enjoy parties that they consider classy. For example, steak dinners in suits and ties with whiskey and cigars are famous. But in Britain, wedding parties often wear themed T-shirts. Destination parties are becoming more popular, with Las Vegas as the most iconic American city to host a bachelor party and cities such as Newcastle and Bournemouth gaining popularity in the U.K.
In addition, perhaps unsurprisingly, both countries have also seen a drift towards joint bachelor/bachelorette (or stag/hen) parties, possibly correlating with couples marrying later in life–and therefore having gotten the evil out of their systems early. The quieter parties may still include beer, inappropriate toasts, embarrassing photos, and daring adventures characteristic of more “traditional” events. Still, they might not be as intense as board games or movies. It’s safe for you to do what you want, regardless of where you are.
Drink up
Booze is the one constant. There is a lot of alcohol. Alcohol is consumed at almost every party. From the Stag/Hen Parties to the Paintballing, the Card Games, and the Strippers. Some bachelors prefer cheap beer, while others choose fine whiskeys or signature cocktails. (We won’t tell anyone that you drank a pink cocktail, promise!). But the truth is, it all comes down to alcohol. From Sparta to fertility rituals to early bachelor parties… this is tradition!
You can also find recipes on the Internet for any mocktails you want. Drink on in whatever way you like, but if you are drinking alcohol, leave enough time before the ceremony to recover.
