Stag Parties In Different Countries
The stag party, as its called in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada, is a tradition dating back to before records began. The groom will enlist the aid of a close companion to be his best man and it is then up to said companion to organise a no-holds-barred, all-out party for him to celebrate his wedlock. However, different customs are standard in different countries around the world and this article will look at how some of the worlds different cultures celebrate with the groom-to-be before marriage.
UK: The British stag party now usually stretches over more than one day, like a weekend or even a week away. A lot of the time the day will be taken up by activities of a laddish nature followed by night merriment and boozing. With cheap airlines on the rise, weeks or weekends away to affordable destinations are becoming more and more common, top of the popular destinations list are Riga, Dublin, Krakow and of course Amsterdam.
United States: In the USA the term stag party is relatively unheard of, it is known as a bachelor party and popular destinations include New Orleans, Miami, Chicago and of course, Las Vegas. Consuming large quantities of alcohol is also customary state-side, as is a stripper and general testosterone fuelled antics that the bride may disapprove of. In the United States, the bachelor party tends to symbolise the grooms last night (or last week etc.) of freedom from the bonds of marriage.
Australia: In Australia, the celebration is known as a Bucks night and more often than not will feature topless waitresses / a stripper and a poker tournament. A lot of the time the guests of the party will subject the groom to some embarrassing forfeits such as stripping him down to his underwear (or sometimes nothing) and leaving him tied to a lamp post. It is also fairly common for the embarrassment to start early on in the night for the groom as he is often made to dress up like a women or wear a “mankini”.
Canada: The Canadian stag party is often referred to as just that, a Stag party. Popular destinations include Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Niagara Falls. This is most likely due to the number strip clubs with lap dancing. The woman’s hen party is known in Canada as a “Stagette” party, a doe party or a bachelorette party.
Denmark: In Denmark, they call a stag/bachelor party a Polterabend and it will usually stretch across a whole day. To start with, the group will usually meet for breakfast and will then proceed to take part in various day time activities, possibly such as kayak polo or paintball. The evening generally consists of dinner together, and then of course the night out where the large amounts of alcohol will be consumed. Strippers are sometimes included in the last stage of the day and the groom himself often will have no idea of exactly what day the Polterabend will start.
France: The French call the Stag party enterrement de vie de garcon which, literally translated, means burial of life as a young boy, and the same for women, but burial of life as a young woman (enterrement de vie de jeune fille.) Like in most English speaking countries, these celebrations often include large amounts of alcohol consumption and sometimes a stripper.
So although stag/bachelor parties throughout the world are all based on more or less the same sort of plan, (drinking and strippers) there are differences in the way that these celebrations are carried out between most countries around the world.
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