If you’ve ever been to a British or American bachelorette party, you’ll know that they normally mean one thing: utter mayhem. Cue: barely-there dresses made out of toilet paper, dancing on table tops at three in the morning, downing champagne like it’s going out of fashion and knocking back tequila shots like hangovers don’t exist. And that’s before you’ve even mentioned the mother in law to be flirting with the half-naked stripper.
Often considered a phenomenon of the English-speaking world, bachelorette parties have become a right of passage for many brides in waiting. But while the rest of the world might not be quite so alcohol-fuelled in their approach to celebrating the upcoming nuptials of their favourite ladies, that doesn’t mean they celebrate with any less gusto. So without further ado, here are a few of the most wacky and wonderful pre-wedding traditions from around the world.
Scotland - Bride blackening
As the inventors of Irn Bru, a people capable of surviving in Baltic temperatures and eating sheep hearts, perhaps it should come as no surprise that Scots hen party traditions are full on barking mad too. Bride blackening, which normally takes place in the days or weeks before the wedding, involves covering the bride in treacle, soot and flour, then showering her in feathers. It’s said that it will ward off evil spirits, and sometimes the groom is smeared too. To be fair, as the nation probably most capable of out-drinking almost anyone else on earth, tequila shots alone probably seem a bit tame.
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Romania - Bridenapping
In Romania, the bride’s friends save all of their raucous antics for the wedding night itself, when they drunkenly abduct the main lady, taking her to a secret location and making the groom barter for her release, usually with the promise of a shedload of alcohol or a grand declaration of love. In recent years, Bucharest’s Arc de Triomphe has become a magnet for stolen brides, who pass their time as captives by singing, dancing and staging mini-photoshoots with the captor's weaponry.
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Germany - Polterabend
Although not the same as a hen party, the Polterabend party is celebrated the night before the wedding and sees guests break porcelain, traditionally in front of the bride’s house, in line with an old adage that “shards bring luck”. Making a massive mess and a lot of noise are both heartily encouraged - and, with true German efficiency, the couple are responsible for jointly clearing up the debris left over as preparation for the teamwork they will have to show throughout their marriage.
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South Africa - Kitchen Tea
While the debauched hen parties we all know and love have caught on in South Africa, there’s still room for the traditional Kitchen Tea. In the past, this event saw women gifting the bride useful household items in preparation for their new life; nowadays, it’s more about coming together to eat cake, quaff tea and play silly games. Not only is there substantially less chance of doing something you regret, you don’t have to watch out for your granny getting handsy with the stripper, either. Win-win.
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India - Mehndi Ceremony
Mehndi ceremonies, which are believed to date as far back as the 15th century, have been dubbed the “world’s original bridal shower”. Usually taking place at the bride’s home the night before the wedding ceremony, they are not only chance to get all prepped for the big day - it is said that the deeper the colour of the mehndi design, the happier the couple will be - but also for the bride to dance and sing with her gal pals. And while the world and his wife may be invited to the wedding ceremony, Mehndi ceremonies have much smaller guest lists - it’s an honour to be invited!
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So there we have it, proof that you don't necessarily need to be throwing sambucca down your throat in order to have a night to remember. And at the end of the day - whether you're a kitchen tea kind of lady, or you think you could handle a spot of Scottish-inspired blackening - one thing is universal, and that's that all you really need for a top night is your favourite girls. That said, bride-napping does look like a lot of fun...
