In the not too distant past brides- and grooms-to-be would be likely to experience something akin to a minor panic attack in the days prior to their respective bachelor’s party and hen’s night. This was probably due to the fact that the whole raison d’etre of the ‘celebrations’ in question appeared to be the abject public humiliation of the guests of honour. Many pranks fell foul of both the Law AND the in-laws and a few moments’ madness oftentimes left permanent deep scars – literally as well as emotionally. Many local urban legends abound insofar as infamous bachelor parties are concerned, an all-time favourite being that of the hapless groom-to-be, boozed out of his mind and covered from head to toe in rotten eggs, feathers and flour, conscientiously dumped by his ‘friends’ to sleep it off, stark bollock naked and without a penny to his name… on a concrete quay at Siracusa harbour!

Thankfully things have taken a turn for the better in recent times and both the Maltese stag nights and the hen’s parties are beginning to resemble what goes on in other parts of the civilized world. True, both the boys’ night as well as the girls’ night out now involve varying doses of bawdy behaviour, assorted phallic symbols and other reproductions of genitalia, grossness galore, porn, strippers of both genders and ‘exotic’ dancers, not to mention the consumption of huge amounts of alcohol… but, you will also note that very few NEW tales of mayhem, madness and brushes with the boys in blue are making the rounds nowadays. Moderation seems to have left its mark even on that which, on paper, is meant to be most riotous celebration of them all. Great. This means that there’ll probably be fewer skeletons in Maltese couples’ cupboards now and in the future. And that’s not a bad thing is it?

That doesn’t mean that fun shouldn’t be an integral part of the proceedings though. Far from it. A few ‘discreet’ shops and even a couple of locally-based internet business are now providing all the paraphernalia necessary for visually extravagant stag- and hens-nights, from assortments of adult toys to inflatable sheep, phallic hats and boobie-shaped ice cubes…you name it, they’ve got it. Apparently.

There’s also a good number of establishments catering specifically for the last adieu to celibacy. Celibacy??? Yes, whatever. Some establishments look after the music, including live bands where necessary, the food, the drink of course as well as decorations and delightfully vulgar cakes and eats.

Just a few tips and pointers with regards to the Stag/Hen nights:

• It is still traditionally the Best Man’s and the Maid of Honour’s responsibility to organize the stag night and hen night. This said, however, it always makes plenty of sense for them to consult with the future bride and groom so as to ensure that no names are left off the list. Sometimes people take terrible offence when they find out that they weren’t invited to the bash, mistakenly or otherwise.
• It also makes sense for transport to be arranged by the organizers for after the ‘do’. It’s logical to assume that many units of alcohol will be imbibed by all present and so, for safety’s sake, it should be equally logical to conclude that many a legless guest will not be in a position to drive home.
• Don’t organize the stag or hen party too close to the wedding date. A week or more before the big day is usually advisable. This gives everybody enough time to sober up and dry out completely, as well as to proffer and accept all apologies related to word and deed committed on the night of debauchery.
• Stag parties and Hens’ night can be costly affairs. It might be a good idea for the organizers to tot up the sums beforehand and to advise all those attending as to what the cost per capita is going to be.
• As a final note: Have fun. Have LOTS of fun. But be considerate of others and think about consequences.