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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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Bachelor Parties: Creating Hangovers Since 500 BC

Time explores history of debauchery ritual

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(Newser) – With The Hangover’s bachelor party tale dominating the box office, you might be wondering: Just where did this ritual come from? Time offers a brief history:

  • In the 5th century BC, the ancient Spartans celebrated the groom’s last night as a single man with dinner and toasts.
  • In 1896, rumors circulated that a belly dancer would be performing nude at a stag party thrown by PT Barnum’s grandson. A police raid ensued.

  • “Bachelor” used to mean a young knight or a student with a bachelor's degree, and was first used to describe an unmarried man in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century Canterbury Tales. “Bachelor party” was first used in 1922 in a Scottish journal to describe a "jolly old" party.
  • In the 1960s, women caught up with the bachelorette party. In recent years, combined stag and doe parties have become popular.

In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Zach Galifianakis, right, Bradley Cooper, center, and Ed Helms are shown in a scene from
In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Zach Galifianakis, right, Bradley Cooper, center, and Ed Helms are shown in a scene from "The Hangover."   (AP Photo/Warner Bros., Frank Masi)
In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Ed Helms, left, Zach Galifianakis, center, and Bradley Cooper are shown in a scene from,
In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Ed Helms, left, Zach Galifianakis, center, and Bradley Cooper are shown in a scene from, "The Hangover."   (AP Photo/Warner Bros., Frank Masi)
In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Zach Galifianakis, left, Bradley Cooper, center, and Ed Helms are shown in a scene from
In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros., Zach Galifianakis, left, Bradley Cooper, center, and Ed Helms are shown in a scene from "The Hangover."   (AP Photo)
A movie poster for the film
A movie poster for the film "Bachelor Party" features American actor Tom Hanks wearing a tuxedo in the doorway of hotel room staring at a woman's legs, 1984.   (Getty Images)
Bachelor parties used to be a black-tie affair, but not anymore, Time reports.
Bachelor parties used to be a black-tie affair, but not anymore, Time reports.   (©theopie)
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