Shivaree

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A noisy celebration or party characterized by rowdy conduct and lively disruptions often held in honor of someone who is being married or celebrated
2. An event marked by jubilant uproar and merriment, especially featuring unrestrained festivities for a person or couple
3. A raucous gathering involving jubilant noise and festivities typically in celebration of a marriage or special occasion

Etymology: "Shivaree" comes from French "charivari," a word whose origins are uncertain but which, in medieval France, named a noisy mock serenade. Crowds gathered outside the house of someone whose behavior offended the community, such as a widower who remarried a much younger woman, and beat pots, pans and whatever else made a racket until the couple or the offender paid for silence. The noise was a public judgment dressed up as a party. English speakers borrowed the French term, and in American usage it shifted away from rebuke toward celebration. Crowds gathered outside newlyweds' homes on their wedding night to bang on pots, fire guns and make as much din as possible, expecting treats or a gift in return. The earlier sense of collective disapproval faded, leaving a boisterous, good-natured noise that is still the word's meaning today.