subject: How Did A Hen Night Get Its Name? [print this page] In one form or the other, hen night has been a tradition for decades. It is a night celebrated in the honour of the bride-to-be. A memorable party is arranged a day or a week before the wedding party. It is just like the stag night, celebrated by the groom and his mates. At hen night, the bride celebrates her bachelorhood with her friends and sisters.
The term "hen party" comes from the henna plant, which is part of wedding traditions in North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. In these traditions, henna tattoos are applied to the hands of the bride on the night before the wedding to protect her from the "evil eye". Henna is believed to purify the bride and thus prevent her from being affected by the influence of any evil agents. Thus, it has a proper background and a historic association with its name.
Although the practice of giving a party in the honour of the bride-to-be goes back to centuries, in its modern form, the bachelor party may have begun during the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Initially, the parties that were organized in the honour of the bride-to-be were mostly labelled as the bachelorette party. These parties often involved display of sexual freedom, such as trading intimate secrets, getting drunk etc. But now, the term is used for a wide variety of other parties that do not necessarily involve such activities.
This concept was transformed into a gathering in the 1960s, during sexual revolution. It was coined just after the stag night. This trend remained recessive till 1980s. Afterwards it was strengthened in the context of gender equality. In comparison to stag night for men, it was about giving an equal social and sexual freedom to the women.
Relatives of the bride want the hen night to be the best night in the life of the bride to-be. So, the basic purpose behind this hen-night party is to give an opportunity to the bride to rejoice with her friends and sisters before she gets married. It is her last night as a bachelor, after which she will lose her "single" status.
It is considered as the last night of freedom before having a committed married life; therefore, girls mostly get a little wild. These parties may involve display of their freedom through trading intimate secrets, getting drunk and enjoying male strippers.
The basic perception behind this hen night party is to give an opening to the bride to rejoice with her friends and sisters before she gets married. It is her last night as a bachelor, after which she will lose her "single" status. So, the girl must have all the fun and enjoyment that she can on this day. The party must have everything that she enjoys to make it a success.
So, think first and plan and implement a fun-filled theme, if you want to make your hen night a success.
