5 Hen Party Traditions From Around The World
Wedding customs have been passed down from generations all over the world, with many countries and cultures adopting different and ancient traditions. Here at Pleasure Ladies UK, we’re taking a look at the history of the hen party and the variety of ways that the big event can be celebrated!
Kitchen Tea
A South African tradition, the Kitchen tea is an afternoon party before the bride’s wedding in which guests bring a gift for the bride that is suitable for the kitchen only. The tradition is to help prepare the marital home with appliances to help the newly-wed couple settle into their home together. Gifts can include anything from mixing bowls and cutlery to china plates and were often given to bride leaving her family home before moving in with her husband. Nowadays, gifts are more personal, given that most brides live away from home before they get married and already have the kitchen appliances they need! The afternoon usually includes close family and friends celebrating over a lunch and playing games to congratulate the bride-to-be. It’s often a quieter party than what we’re used to in the UK but still involves a party with everyone getting together to celebrate before the big day!
So if you like the idea of a South African tradition but want a wilder party, whether you’re looking for a girls night out with a hen night in Birmingham, a cheeky night with our male strippers in London or something to really get the party started, then visit us at Pleasure Ladies UK – and don’t forget the willy straws as a ‘kitchen’ gift to the bride, they’re easier to carry in your handbag than plates or cutlery! (You wouldn’t want to break the Kitchen Tea tradition now would you!)
Bachelorette Party
The Bachelorette party was traditionally born in America out of the Bachelor party, where the groom and his friends would celebrate his last night of freedom. But after the significance of gender equality, women started partying too and nowadays, the Bachelorette party is just as important for the bride as it is for the groom!
Parties to honour the bride-to-be in America are typically hosted by her friends and family, often including lunches, dinner parties and nights out on the town with the bride dressed up in vibrant wedding regalia, (not too dissimilar to our nights out here in the UK!) Traditionally, the bride is given gifts at the bridal shower before the bachelorette party, but if you’re looking to give your American bride a present from across the pond, why not gift her with a night she won’t forget? From a hen night in Manchester with sexy butlers in the buff to male strippers in Blackpool on show all night, your bride will be spoilt with celebrations all night long!
‘Blackening The Bride’
Sounds like something out of a horror film right? Well you wouldn’t be far wrong for thinking so if it wasn’t for the fun and games that come with this Scottish hen party tradition! Not the typical way to celebrate the bride with dressing up and a night out on the town, but an age old custom shared in Scotland by the whole community, ‘blackening the bride,’ is a ritual that many brides still take part in before they get married. Buckets of flour, eggs, treacle and feathers are mixed and prepared whilst the bride is seated in the back of a truck. Guests then take it in turn to throw the ‘blackening’ over her and parade her around the town with a crowd following behind, and celebrations continue into pubs and bars before the bride is allowed to go home, clean up and get something to eat. If this doesn’t take your fancy and you’re looking for a hen party that’s, well, less messy, then why not take a look at our party packages at Pleasure Ladies UK? Here you can celebrate your bride with a hen night in Leeds or with our male strippers in Cardiff, showering her in champagne rather than treacle and feathers!
Get ‘Smashed’ In Germany
No, we don’t mean ‘smashed’ in the way most typical party animals do! We’re talking about the age-old hen party tradition in Germany where it’s customary to smash porcelain objects and bring the couple good luck in their marriage. The ‘Polterabend,’ is still popular today and whilst it may seem an old-fashioned and bazaar hen party tradition, it’s mostly an excuse to have a raging party to celebrate! (Now we’re talking!) We can guarantee you an incredible night of fun with us at Pleasure Ladies UK, and while we can’t promise that you’ll be able to smash all the crockery during dinner, we can ensure you have the night of your lives with our male strippers in London and across the UK!
Traditional UK Hen Parties
Here in Britain it’s no secret that we love to party! Our hen party traditions originate further back than the US, with sexual freedom at their core following the revolution of women’s rights. The phrase, ‘hen party,’ dates back to the 1800s and most celebrations would include the bride’s female friends and family getting together for a party. Weekend getaways and short trips abroad soon became popular, and nowadays our British hen parties are an event in the calendar not to be missed! Typically, brides are dressed-up with ‘L’ plates, badges, sashes and tiaras with willy whistles and shots-on-string to accessorize before a night on the town commences!
Here at Pleasure Ladies UK, we can make sure your hen party is one your bride won’t forget! You might even like to take a few of our top traditions and incorporate them into your night of celebrations here in the UK, and add a bit of culture to your party. If that still isn’t your style and you’re looking for pre-wedding celebration with more panache, why not drink and dance the night away after a show from our male strippers in Blackpool, London, Leeds or even Manchester – if it’s a hen party in the UK you’re after, we’ve got you covered!
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