Hen and Stag?

I didn't know that poultry and horses have become so chummy. Is it like a big game of chicken (pun intended) where the hens hang out on the backs of the horses and try to knock each other off? Nope. Hen and stag parties are the UK version of bachelor and bachelorette parties. I quickly became schooled in the tradition of hen parties while visiting Brighton in the South of England with Katy, a girl on my program, and her British friend Fran. While waiting endlessly in London Bridge station for the track number to be posted for our train, we couldn't help but stare at a gaggle of ladies who looked absolutely ridiculous. They were all dressed in neon pink tank tops and wore headbands with tall springs topped with little triangles that said "hen party". Apparently, these are called head boppers. One particularly hyper gal even decided to bring along her male blow up doll, who I have decided to name Stuart.

I was beyond confused when observing these overly energetic girls running around looking for snacks and drinks at 9:30 in the morning on a Saturday. I don't know about you, but the bachelorette parties I've been to happen only at night and we definitely are not that chipper the next day. We typically appear in our pajamas with bags under our eyes and feed bags strapped to our faces for any morning after vomiting.

Imagine our shock when we arrived in Brighton and passed hen party after hen party of women dressed as fairies, cowgirls and ladies from the 60s and 80s. Apparently, in England hen parties can be weekend affairs that do not solely revolve around binge drinking, penis novelties and practically naked men, but rather being incredibly girlie, giggling a lot and looking dumb.