A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, and recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well. Some parties are held in honor of a specific person, day, or event (e.g., a birthday party, a Super Bowl party, or a St. Patrick’s Day party). Parties of this kind are often called celebrations. A party is not necessarily a private occasion. Public parties are sometimes held in pubs and bars, and people attending such parties may be charged an admission fee by the host. Parties for teenagers and young adults Parties that are held by teenagers and young adults include house parties, dance parties, and outdoor parties. The term “house party” refers to a party where a large group of people get together at a private home to socialize. House parties that involve the drinking of beer pumped from a keg are called keg parties or “keggers.” These parties are popular in the United States and Australia but are illegal for persons under the legal drinking age. Sometimes, even older partygoers run afoul of the law for having provided alcoholic beverages to minors. Arrests may also be made for violating a noise ordinance, for disorderly conduct,[2] and even for operating a “blind pig.” Dance parties and gatherings in bars or community centers where the guests dance to house music, techno music, or disco. The music for dance parties is usually selected and played by a disc jockey. Outdoor parties include bush parties and beach parties. Bush parties (also called “field parties”) are held in a secluded area of a forest (“bush”), where friends gather to drink and talk. These parties are often held around a bonfire. Beach parties are held on a sandy shoreline of a lake, river, or sea, and also often feature a bonfire. College parties are parties thrown by college students.[3] They most often refer to house parties, but can also include dance and outdoor parties. They frequently involve excessive amounts of alcohol and drinking games.[3] School-related parties for teenagers and young adults include proms and graduation parties, which are held in honor of someone who has recently graduated from a school or university. A crush party is a party in a sorority or fraternity where the sisters or brothers are given a certain number of invitations (according to their “crushes”). These are passed on to friends outside of the sorority/fraternity and given to the “crushes” (while keeping secret the name of the inviter). There may be some sort of disclosure at the party, so that the guests can find out who has a crush on her/him. A spin-off of dance parties, the rave involves dancing to loud house music or techno music. Rave parties may be attended by as few as a score of people in a basement or, more likely, by a few hundred people in a club, to as many as thousands in a large warehouse, field, or even tens of thousands in a sporting arena, city block, or other large space. Singles dance party and mixer A singles dance party and mixer is a party which is organized for people who are not married and who want to find a partner for friendship, dating, or sex. Usually a “mixer game” is played, to make it easy for people to meet each other. For example, each guest may be given a card with an inspiring quotation on it. The game is to find someone of the opposite sex who has the same quotation. Couples who have matching cards may be given a small prize. These parties are sponsored by various organizations, both non-profit and for-profit. Marriage-related parties * Bachelor party (aka UK: Stag Night; Australia: Bucks Night) * Bachelorette party (aka Hens Night) * Divorce party * Wedding reception Dinner party An invitation to a dinner party, 1818. A dinner party is a social gathering at which people eat dinner together, usually in the host’s home. At the most formal dinner parties, the dinner is served on a dining table with place settings. Dinner parties are often preceded by a cocktail hour[4] in a living room or bar, where guests drink alcoholic beverages while mingling and conversing. At less formal dinner parties, a buffet is provided. Guests choose food from the buffet and eat while standing up and conversing. Women guests may wear cocktail dresses; men may wear blazers. At some informal dinner parties, the host may ask guests to bring food or beverages (a main dish, a side dish, a dessert, or appetizers). A party of this type is called a potluck or potluck dinner. In the United States, potlucks are very often held in churches and community centers. Tea party Main article: Tea party In Anglo-American culture, a tea party is a formal gathering for afternoon tea. These parties are tradtionally attended only by women, but men may also be invited. Tea parties are often characterized by the use of prestigious tableware, such as bone china and silver. The table, whatever its size or cost, is made to look its prettiest, with cloth napkins and matching cups and plates. In addition to tea, larger parties may serve punch or, in cold weather, hot chocolate. The tea is accompanied by a variety of easily managed foods. Thin sandwiches such as cucumber or tomato, cake slices, buns, and cookies are all common choices. Housewarming party Main article: Housewarming party A housewarming party may be held when a family, couple, or person moves into a new house or apartment. It is an occasion for the hosts to show their new home to their friends. Housewarming parties are typically informal and do not include any planned activities other than a tour of the new house or apartment. Invited family members and friends may bring gifts for the new home. Block party Main articles: Block party and Street party A block party is a public party that is attended by the residents of a specific city block or neighborhood. These parties are typically held in a city street that has been closed to traffic to accommodate the party. At some block parties, attendees are free to pass from house to house, socializing, and often drinking alcoholic beverages. Farewell party Search Wiktionary Look up farewell in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. In many cultures, it is customary to throw a farewell party in honor of someone who is moving away or departing on a long trip. Cast party A cast party is a celebration following the final performance of a theatric event, such as a play, a musical, or an opera. A party of this kind may also be held following the end of shooting for a motion picture (called a “wrap party”) or after the season’s final episode of a television series. Cast parties are traditionally held for most theater performances, both professional and amateur. Invited guests are usually restricted to performers, crew members, and a few others who did not participate in the performance. Pre-party A pre-party is a party that is held immediately before some event, such as a school dance, a wedding, a birthday party, or a bar mitzvah. These parties are usually of short duration and sometimes involve getting ready for the event (e.g., the guests may put on makeup or costumes). Guests usually leave at the same time and arrive at the event together. After-party An after-party is a party that is held after a musical or theatric performance or after some other event, such as a wedding or a school dance. Guests are usually limited to friends of the host. Fundraising party A fundraising party, or fundraiser, is a party that is held for the purpose of collecting money that will be given to some person or to some institution, such as a school, charity, business, or political campaign. These parties are usually formal and consist of a dinner followed by speeches or by a presentation extolling whatever the money is being raised for. It is very common to charge an admission fee for parties of this kind. This fee may be as high as several thousand dollars, especially if money is being raised for a political campaign. Parties on special days Australia * Australia Day Canada * Canada Day Christian * Christmas * Easter * Mardi Gras * Saint Patrick’s Day India * Chaand Raat (Eid) * Diwali * Holi International * All Saints’ Day * Candle Night * Cinco de Mayo * Eid * Festivus * Halloween * New Year’s Eve * Saint Patrick’s Day Iran * Nowruz Ireland * Saint Patrick’s Day Islamic * Eid al-Adha * Eid ul-Fitr Jewish * Hanukkah * Passover * Purim Scotland * Hogmanay United Kingdom * Guy Fawkes Night United States * Independence Day, aka the Fourth of July * Super Bowl Sunday Famous parties * Burning Man * Full Moon Party * Lollapalooza * Nuit Blanche * Woodstock Festival Other parties * A costume or fancy dress party An offshoot of the classic masquerade ball. The costumes of guests provide the theme of the event. * A game party A social gathering during which the guests play party games. * A LAN party A party that involves multi-player computer games and uses a Local Area Network. * A political houseparty A party that is hosted in a private home for the purpose of supporting a particular candidate, political party, or ballot measure, or to share information and opinions about an upcoming election. * A pool party A party in which the guests swim in a private swimming pool.