Whenever there are special events that happen in our lives, most of us love to throw parties to celebrate those moments. A party is a get-together of people who have been invited by a host to socialize, for recreation purposes, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. It often features food and drinks, conversation, music, dancing, and other forms of entertainment.
There are also parties held in honor of a specific person, event, or days, such as a birthday party, a St. Patrick’s Day party, or a Super Bowl party. These kinds of parties are also called celebrations. Also, a party is not necessarily a private occasion. There are also public parties that are held in restaurants, bars, pubs, and nightclubs. People attending these parties are often charged an admission fee by the host.
If you want to learn more about parties, we are here to help you. In this post, we are giving you an infographic on the different types of parties.
Balls
A ball is a type of formal dance party that is usually characterized by a banquet or large feast, followed by a social dance that includes ballroom dancing. One of the popular types of balls is a masked ball. It is an older tradition compared to the normal ball. It is well known in the 16th century, which was around 300 years ago. But many people today are still organizing classic masquerade-themed parties.
The term ball came from the Latin word “ballare,” which means “to dance,” and “bal” was used to define a formal dancing party in French in the 12th century. Some of the various types of balls include opera ball, debutante ball, cotillion, commemoration ball, hunt ball, masquerade ball, May ball, and prom.
Military Ball
Military ball is a special ball which is a celebration of the military who serve our country.It is a great opportunity for everyone to meet and learn about the various military personnel and the lives of those who serve this country. The Army Military Ball is usually on June 14 held.The Air Force Ball is usually held on September 18.U.S. Naval Union Ball is on October 13 each year. At the military ball, people usually honor veterans, or the ones who helped keep the country safe and America free. These military balls are usually hosted by the military units. There is food, drinks, talking, dancing and some wonderful ceremonies at the ball. The units will customize some commemorative gifts for those who participate in the dance, such as custom Army Challenge Coins, Navy Challenge Coins, Air Force Challenge Coins, etc. to commemorate the heroes who have served and contributed to the country. You can see more custom party gifts at gs-jj.com.
Banquets
A banquet refers to a formal large meal or feast where many people consume food together. Traditionally, this type of party is held to enhance the prestige of a host or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Today, banquets are held mostly for charitable events, a ceremony, or a celebration. Most of the time, they include speeches in honor of the topic, theme, or guest of honor.
A feast was the older English term for a lavish meal, and banquet originally meant a specific and different kind of meal, often following a feast but in a different room or building, which focuses on various sweet foods. It became highly fashionable at the beginning of the 16th century as sugar became much more common in Europe. It was a magnificent form of the dessert course, and special banqueting houses were built for them. These meals are also often called “sugar collations.”
Birthday Party
This is one of the most common types of parties in the world. A birthday party is a way to celebrate the anniversary of the natal of a person. There has been a historical model for birthday parties for the rich and power full throughout history, but the tradition reached the middle-class Americans around the 19th century and took on more modern norms and traditions in the 20th century. At the present time, birthday parties are now a feature of many cultures.
Birthday parties include many common rituals. Guests may be requested to bring a gift for the honored person. Party locations are usually adorned with colorful decorations like streamers and balloons. Also, a birthday cake is served with lit candles that are to be blown out after making a birthday wish. The celebrant will be given the first slice of cake. In addition to that, while the cake is being brought to the table, the guests will sing a Happy Birthday song.
Most of the time, birthday parties are larger and grander if someone celebrates a milestone age, such as a transition from childhood to adulthood. Some examples of these are a sweet sixteen party and the Latin American quinceañera.
Cocktail Party
A cocktail party is an event where cocktails are served. It is also sometimes referred to as a cocktail reception. It is organized mostly for social or business networking. Managers of hotels and restaurants also often use a cocktail hour as a means of attracting bar customers and is held between 4pm to 6pm. There are also other events, like wedding receptions, that are preceded by a cocktail party. It is the time when guests socialize while eating appetizers and drinking alcoholic beverages.
There was a German observer of English life who came up with the three fundamental rules of cocktail parties. The first rule is that it should not last longer than an hour and a half, which is the time one can stand up, even if there are chairs for weaker guests. The second rule is that guests should enter and leave freely, and there should not be elaborate greetings on arrival and departure. Lastly, conversations at a cocktail party should avoid passionate topics, like personal, political, or religious issues, to keep a pleasant and joyful atmosphere.
Dinner Party
This is a social gathering where people eat dinner together in the host’s home or selected venue. At a formal dinner party, dinner is served on a dining table with place settings or table settings. Most of the time, a dinner party is preceded by a cocktail hour in a bar or living room, where guests would enjoy cocktails while mingling and conversing. Throughout the meal, wine is served, usually with a different kind accompanying each course.
At a less formal dinner party, a buffet is provided. It is where guests would choose their food and eat while standing up and conversing. At dinner parties, women may wear cocktail dresses while men may wear blazers. There are also some informal dinner parties wherein the host would ask guests to bring food or drinks. This type of dinner party is referred to as a potluck or potluck dinner. In the United States, potluck dinners are mostly held in community centers and churches.
Surprise Party
This is a type of party that is not made known to the celebrant. The most common type of surprise party is a birthday surprise party. Most of the time, the guests will arrive earlier, around an hour or so, before the celebrant arrives. Usually, a friend of the celebrant will lead him or her to the location of the party without letting on anything.
The guests also often hide, and when the celebrant enters the room, all of them would leap and shout “surprise!” Many also use props to surprise the celebrant, such as streamers, silly strings, and balloons. Also, evidence of a party, like decorations, is not made visible from the outside of the venue to avoid suspicion from the celebrant.
Tea Party
A tea party is a formal gathering for afternoon tea in Anglo-American culture. This type of party was often attended by women, but men may also be invited. Most of these parties are characterized by the use of prestigious tableware, like bone china and silver. The table is also made to look its prettiest, adorned with cloth napkins and matching cups and plates.
Aside from tea, larger tea parties may also serve punch or hot chocolate during cold weather. The tea is often accompanied by a variety of easily managed foods. Some of the common choices are cucumber, tomato, cake slices, bananas, buns, and cookies.
Garden Party
This is a type of party held in a park or a garden. It is usually a more formal event than other outdoor gatherings like barbecues and picnics. A garden party can be among the prestigious events out there. Some examples of a garden party include invitations by the British Sovereign to garden parties at Buckingham Palace or at the Palace of Holyrood house in Scotland, which are considered an honor. On Bastille Day, the President of France holds a garden party at the Palais de I ‘Elysée in Paris.
Costume Party
This is a type of party where people wear special clothes that make them look like a specific character, animal, or object. One of the most popular costume parties is a Halloween party. Many children’s parties are also costume-party-themed.
Different countries also have different ways of throwing costume parties. Costume parties are popular in the United States around Halloween when teenagers and adults who are too old for trick or treating attend a party instead. In addition, costume parties are also popular during the carnival season, like Mardi Gras.
Australian costume parties are quite similar to the style of the United States. Some of the common events where they host costume parties include the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, cricket matches, and the staff Christmas party. In Iraq, on the other hand, it is a tradition to have a costume party at a university graduation.
Kids’ Parties
Another common type of party is kids’ parties. Throwing the best party for kids is not limited to countries like America, as it is a growing global trend. In fact, according to studies, the average parent spends around $30,000 on 21 years’ worth of birthday parties for each of their children. Some parents are also suggested to spend more than $780 every year on birthday parties alone. There are also various types of parties for kids, such as birthday parties, holiday parties, and religious parties.
Marriage-Related Parties
There are also parties held in celebration of getting married or getting out of marriage. These include bridal showers, bachelor parties, bachelorette parties, wedding receptions, and divorce parties.
- Bridal Shower: A bridal shower is a gift-giving party that is held for a bride-to-be in anticipation of her wedding. It is hosted by one or more close friends of the bride. Sometimes it is also a surprise party for the bride.
- Bachelor Party: This is also known as a stag party. It is a party arranged by the man who is shortly to enter marriage. It is often planned by the friend or brother of the groom, occasionally with the help of a bachelor party planning company.
- Bachelorette Party: This is a type of party held for a woman who will soon be married. It is modeled after the centuries-old stag night in the United States. It is the counterpart of the bachelor party.
- Wedding Reception: This is the party held usually after the wedding This type of party can last anywhere from half an hour to many hours. Most wedding receptions are held in the evening for dinner. But there are also couples who opt for lunch, brunch, or even afternoon tea for their wedding reception. All of the details of the party are chosen by the married couple, including the venue, food, and drinks.
- Divorce Party: This is a type of ceremony that celebrates the end of a marriage or civil union. It can involve either one or both members of the separating couple. Divorce parties have been referred to as the final frontier in the wedding industry complex. It often includes a toast that emphasizes the new chapters of the couple in their lives. These parties often include divorce cakes, wedding ring coffins, and divorce rings that are either notched or broken circles.
Housewarming Party
This type of party may be held when a family, couple, or person moves into a new house or apartment. It is a party for the hosts to show their new home to their close friends and family members. Most of the time, a housewarming party is informal and does not include any planned activities aside from touring the new place. Also, invited family members and friends may bring housewarming gifts for the new house.
Welcome Party
This type of party is held to welcome a newcomer. It can be a simple celebration for a new club member, a new employee, or a new baby in the family. It often includes welcome messages from the guests and lots of delicious foods.
Farewell Party
In a lot of cultures, it is normal to throw a farewell party in honor of a person who is moving to a new place or departing on a long trip. It is also sometimes called a bon voyage party. Also falling into this category is retirement parties, which are held for departing co-workers.
Gender Reveal Party
This is a kind of party held during pregnancy to reveal the gender or sex of the baby to the expectant parents, family, and friends. It is a practice that originated in the United States during the late 2000s. This event used to exist as a private tradition that the parents did together. However, in the recent years, gender reveal parties became a precursor party to the baby shower. Compared to baby showers, gender reveal parties are more casual and open to both sexes.
Baby Shower
A baby shower is a party thrown to celebrate the impending birth of a new baby. It is a way for family and friends to help the new parents get everything they need. They bring gifts for the baby, and as well as food and drinks for everyone in the party. In addition to that, they also bring gifts that are going to be useful for both the parents and the baby. It is a way to help the soon-to-be parents to get the things they need as the list can get a bit expensive.
Holiday Parties
The holidays are that time of year when families and friends get together, toasting to previous months and precious loved ones. Holiday parties are a tradition to share warmth and spread happiness to one another. There are many different holiday parties that are celebrated by people around the world. There are also different ways on how people throw parties during the holiday season. Below are some examples of holiday parties:
- Thanksgiving Party: Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada. It is the celebration of harvest and other blessings of the past year. This holiday is usually celebrated by a dinner party attended by families and friends. A turkey dinner is popularly served at a Thanksgiving party.
- Halloween Party: It is a party that usually involves wearing costumes of certain movie, TV, and video game characters. It is common mainly in modern Western culture, such as in countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada.
- Christmas Party: A Christmas party is an event that brings together friends and families to celebrate the holidays and the blessings of the year. It is also usually the time when families hold reunions to catch up with one another. During the Christmas season, it is traditional in English and American culture to have a Christmas caroling party. In this type of party, people go from door to door in a neighborhood and sing Christmas carols, such as “Deck the Halls,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and “O Holy Night,” to name a few.
- New Year’s Eve Party: New Year’s Eve happens in the evening of December 31. Most of the time, it is celebrated with parties that involve drinking and socializing. The main even of the party is usually a countdown to the incoming new year.
Aside from these, there are also many other holidays celebrated in different parts of the world by throwing parties.
Corporate Holiday Parties
Corporate holiday parties are mostly held in companies and offices. These parties can represent the culture of a company in a fun and rewarding way. These can be events that may increase or deepen the connections between people, deepen bonds, and unite subcultures. In these parties, employees are given the chance to interact with upper management, making it a great time to break down barriers and help staff at various levels of the company to get to know each other. These parties may also help increase teamwork in a workplace.
Conclusion
These are some of the most common types of parties that are being celebrated in many parts of the world. There are many more types of parties in different countries and cultures. Some people even invent their own parties, such as hosting game nights with family and friends or just some random throwing of a party just to hang out with their closest friends. We hope this post helped you learn more about the different types of parties.