When hearing ‘hen party’, you either think of a brood of chickens having a cackling time of a party or, a group of women getting together to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of one of their friends in a final night of single life celebrations to  ‘live it up’ before the old ‘ball and chain’ is put on.

Historically it was a dinner where a bride-to-be and her friends would gather for a meal together or a bachelor party where the bridegroom and his friends would gather shortly before his impending marriage and enjoy dinner together.  As time went on, these ‘parties’ began to take on a more sexual connotation where alcohol and strippers and raunchy parties became part of the process.  It was a time to ‘let the hair down and kick up the heels’.  This was the same for the groom and his groomsmen

The ‘hen party’ or ‘hen’s night’ was the mirror version of the men’s ‘stag night’, and it was a time when all the boundaries were lifted in one last night effort to have some ‘real’ fun before tying the knot.  This was also a time of bonding, and was a time when a good night meant good partying without any embarrassing or humiliating event or situation rising up to bring shame to the honoured bride-to-be. 

These parties would either take place in the home where it would be a private affair, or it would take place at a restaurant or bar thus entering the public arena.  Sometimes the celebrations took place in another city or town, or the group would stay at a mountain cabin or at a lakeside. This would all depend on the one who was organizing the special event.  Wherever it was held, the participants were determined that a good time would be had by all.

Preparation for this one night of unbridled fun, would be planned weeks or even months ahead, and  would comprise of anything from a dinner party, to a stripper calling to give the bride-to-be one last jaunt as a ‘free woman’.  If the party was organized well, everyone would then be assured of the night to remember, and if it wasn’t, well that too was remembered, only it would never be forgotten and would become a talking point at any gathering after that. And there you have it, a summary of a bachelorette or hen’s party.