Why going on a Hen Do is good for you

I recently spent an enjoyable weekend at a Hen Do.

With old and new friends, I relaxed, chatted, laughed, played games, ate delicious food and had few (or more) sparkly drinks.

As we all said our goodbyes to return to our normal life we resolved that we should have a similar get together more often because it was so enjoyable. .So why are Hen Dos so enjoyable and good for us?

History of the Hen Do

Traditionally pre-wedding rituals for women were about wedding day preparation. In Ancient Greece, the bride and other women would make offerings to the gods so the wedding day would run smoothly. In ancient Scotland, the bride’s feet would be washed by her friends to cleanse her. Similarly, in Jewish tradition the bride would have mikvah or ritual bath before the wedding for cleansing.

By the mid 1800’s Hen Dos, like Stag events, were about entertainment and for women consisted of singing, dancing, afternoon tea and genteel amusements. They were not necessarily linked to a wedding. By the early 1900’s alcoholic drinks started to be introduced into these celebrations. In the 1950’s and 60’s, Hen Dos were about the bride celebrating with her co-workers before usually leaving her job to become a housewife and future mother. Thereafter, with more female liberation and a change in social attitudes towards sex, Hen Dos transitioned in events with sex themed games and merchandise. Today, Hen Dos range from party nights out, afternoon teas and dinners, spa or activity themed weekends away and city or beach breaks.

Wellbeing benefits of a Hen Do

No matter what type of Hen Do you partake in, the benefits are similar. They help:

Enhance social connections

You get time to connect with existing friends and make new friends. Studies have found that spending time with friends releases endorphins in the brain which makes you feel happy.

Boost happiness

Whether doing fun activities, silly games or just chatting and reminiscing about past events you are bound to spend the do laughing a lot. This helps strengthen the immune system, increase energy and reduce pain.

Spark personal development and creativity

Depending on the type of do you attend you may end up completing an activity you’ve never done before such as jet skiing, an art or dance class or cooking a new type of cuisine. Depending on where you go, you may also experience a new culture, see new places, people and landscapes. All of these things help: expose you to new ideas; learn more about yourself; give you interesting things to talk about and explore further; and widened your social network.