Bachelor and bachelorette parties have become synonymous with wild and reckless nights, the details of which are slightly obscured when describing it to significant others later. Movies like “Bachelor Party” and “The Hangover” paint the occasion as a shame-inducing free-for-all of alcohol and bawdiness, but it hasn’t always been that way. The origins of bachelor and bachelorette parties are remarkably tame when compared to the ones we know of today, so how did this once-low-key event get transformed into the craziest night of a groom- or bride-to-be’s life?It Wasn’t Always an Excuse for Excess
Whether it’s called a stag party in Canada and the UK, a bachelor party in the U.S., or a buck’s party in Australia, the general idea behind celebrations for pre-grooms remains the same. A bachelor party marks the rite of passage a man takes from adolescence to becoming a family man. It’s thought to have originated in Sparta during the 5th century BC, when soldiers would get together the night before a fellow fighter’s wedding and toast him at a dinner. It didn’t involve strippers or a weekend trip to Las Vegas—at least, not that we know of. The dinner was simply a way to bond with friends and release some anxiety and nervousness before the wedding. Read more …
