Stag nights come in a variety of forms. A young man facing a lifetime married to one woman may feel excused for taking one last chance to indulge his wildest dreams. Stag nights have changed somewhat over the last few years, and here we compare the myth with reality.

The Myth

Before a man enters the happy state that is wedded bliss there is one last rite of passage that he must make. It is an event rich in symbolism. It allows the man one last chance to behave as badly as he can, and it marks his separation from the pack of males into the smothering arms of a woman. Gathering his closest male friends around him, the Stags, he indulges in an orgiastic bout of drinking, dancing, singing and general debauchery. There will also be at least one visit to a tattoo parlour. This ritual will take place on the very eve of the wedding ceremony, and will usually end in the small hours of the wedding day itself with the unfortunate groom bound naked to a lamp post in a strange town many hundreds of miles from home.

The Reality

It is true to say that in modern British society most stag nights take place weeks, maybe even months before the wedding. This gives the groom chance to get over any physical after effects of his over-indulgence, and should allow time for laser removal of the embarrassing tattoo. Stag nights used to involve a pub crawl around the local town followed by a club and a curry. But not now. In the last few years stag weekends have become popular, and trips to Dublin, Madrid, Amsterdam and even Reykyavik are now not uncommon. Being further away from home for longer presents greater opportunities for mischief.

The post millennial stag weekend is thankfully more likely to finish with the groom being picked up at International Arrivals by his fiancée, rather than having to thumb a naked lift back from the Kyle of Lochalsh.