Though weddings are as unique as the individuals getting married, the traditions involved are unquestionably routine. Their origins, however, are quite surprising.
If popular culture’s to be believed, bachelor parties involve little more than drunken debauchery — shots, shenanigans, and strippers. (See: The Hangover, The Hangover II, and every other movie in the history of cinema that includes this pre-wedding ritual as a plot point.)
Funny enough, this is one tradition that hasn’t changed much in the roughly 2,500 years it’s been celebrated. According to I Do But I Don’t: Why the Way We Marry Matters, in ancient Sparta, the night before a military man was to be wed, his buddies would celebrate with a feast and toasting. Today’s soirees aren’t too different, minus the armor and javelins.
The bachelorette party is a more recent development. As Meaghan Haire explains, it’s no coincidence that bachelorette parties surfaced around the same time as the sexual revolution of the 1960s. We have second-wave feminists to thank for today’s plethora of penis-shaped accessories, satin bride-to-be sashes, and veiled tiaras. Gender equality doesn’t stop at education and employment: ladies have a right to blow out their last moments of singlehood, too.
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Sign in to add your ownBarbara from CreativityHappens says:
We are women... Hear us roar! A night with with your friends to celebrate "just you". It's not an excuse to do things that you can't write home about, it's about having fun and making memories! Enjoy the moment!
11 years ago
Stephen Bushnik from NutshellCards says:
Beautiful! Lest we forget...the bachelorette! Nutshell cards were created for just that! Whether, she's nice or naughty as hell... Give couples a gift of love...in a nutshell.
11 years ago