A party favor is a small gift given to the guests at a

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

as a gesture of thanks for their attendance, a memento of the occasion, or simply as an aid to frivolity.

Occasions

It is traditional in some Western cultures for the guests at

bridal shower A bridal shower is a gift-giving party held for a bride-to-be in anticipation of her wedding. The history of the custom is rooted not necessarily for the provision of goods for the upcoming matrimonial home, but to provide goods and financial ass ...

s and

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

s to receive party favors; these vary in price and durability in accordance with the desires and budget of the host or hostess. This practice has spread to many other

formal occasion Formal wear or full dress is the Western dress code category applicable for the most formal occasions, such as weddings, christenings, confirmations, funerals, Easter and Christmas traditions, in addition to certain state dinners, audiences, b ...

s such as baby showers, engagement parties, retirement parties, anniversaries, and holiday gatherings. For small social gatherings such as

birthday parties A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature fo ...

, guests may receive a simple and inexpensive favor such as a small toy. In some cases guests might receive a small "gift bag", or "party bag" with a handful of favors, toys or trinkets, candy, pencils or other small gifts. Occasions such as birthday parties, seasonal parties, unique events such as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Christening are a few social gatherings where favors may be appropriate.

At weddings

Wedding favors are small

gift A gift or a present is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment or anything in return. An item is not a gift if that item is already owned by the one to whom it is given. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation ...

s given as a gesture of appreciation or gratitude to guests from the bride and

groom A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse (if female) is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man an ...

during a

ceremony or a wedding reception. The tradition of distributing wedding favors is hundreds of years old. It is believed that the first wedding favor, common amongst European aristocrats, was known as a bonbonniere. A ''bonbonniere'' is a small trinket box that was made of

crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...

, and/or precious stones. The contents of these precious boxes were generally sugar cubes or delicate confections, which symbolize wealth and royalty. As sugar became more affordable, bonbonnieres were replaced with

almonds The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of th ...

. For centuries, almonds were commonly distributed to wedding guests to signify well wishes on the bridegroom’s new life. In the thirteenth century, almonds coated with sugar, known as confetti, were introduced. Confetti soon transformed to

sugared almonds Sugaring is a food preservation method similar to pickling. Sugaring is the process of desiccating a food by first dehydrating it, then packing it with pure sugar. This sugar can be crystalline in the form of table or raw sugar, or it can be de ...

, which started in ancient Greece and was inspired by the tale of Demophon, the king of Athens whose wife died and reincarnated as an almond tree. This later evolved into a wedding favor for modern day weddings. Traditionally, five

Jordan almonds Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan River ...

are presented in a confection box or wrapped in elegant fabric to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. The bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the coated candy are a metaphor for the bitter sweetness of a marriage. Today, gifts to guests are commonly known as wedding favors and are shared in cultures worldwide. Wedding favors have become a part of wedding reception planning, especially in the United States and Canada. Wedding favors are diverse and usually complement the theme or season of the event. Classic favors can range from the classic sugared almonds or individual chocolates to candles and scented soaps. Modern gift trends include: CDs with the favorite music of the bride and groom, shot glasses filled with colored candy or a charitable donation in the name of their guests. Gifts may also be personalized with the couple's or guest's names, initials or the wedding date.

Making or buying

The choice of favors is personal to the hosts, who might make or buy party favors for their event. The main factors in this decision are budget, the number of guests, the longevity or shelf life of the chosen favor, and the time available for making or shopping for favors. The longevity of the favor depends on whether or not it is edible or would otherwise spoil, such as fresh flowers.

Other items considered party favors

''Party favors'' may also refer to ephemeral items which help partygoers celebrate, but which are not meant to be lasting souvenirs. Examples include but are not limited to

party hat A party hat is any of a number of celebratory hats, most typically in the form of a conical hat made with a piece of thin paperboard, usually with designs printed on the outside and a long string of elastic acting like a chinstrap, going from one ...

balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...

noisemaker A noisemaker is something intended to make a loud noise, usually for fun. Instruments or devices commonly considered "noisemakers" include: * pea whistles * air horns, composed of a pressurized air source coupled to a horn, designed to create an ...

party horn A party horn (also a party blower, party pipe, party elephant, party blowout, noisemaker, party whistle, party honker, ta-doo-dah, noise popper, birthday kazoo, whizzer, blow tickler, tongue kazoo, or party snake) is a horn formed from a paper ...

s (paper tubes that unroll when blown into),

Christmas cracker Christmas crackers are festive table decorations that make a snapping sound when pulled open, and often contain a small gift, paper hat and a joke. They are part of Christmas celebrations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Commonwealth countri ...

s, plastic leis,

glow sticks A glow stick, also known as a light stick, chem light, light wand, light rod, and rave light, is a self-contained, short-term light-source. It consists of a translucent plastic tube containing isolated substances that, when combined, make light ...

, deely bobbers, and streamers and other kinds of confetti. {{DEFAULTSORT:Party Favor Wedding gifts